Known for its warm climate, jungle terrain and vibrant annual carnival, the dual island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is considered a safe destination during the North Atlantic hurricane season.
Over the course of three years we spent about two and a half in Trinidad, so during that time we got to know the place pretty well. Based on our experiences, here’s some of the tips, tricks and things to know when it comes to hauling out in Trinidad.
Arriving in Trinidad by boat#
The port of entry for Trinidad is Chaguaramas, which doubles as the island’s yachting and boating hub. Anyone visiting Trinidad by private yacht will need to go here, even if you’re coming across from Tobago.
Checking into Trinidad is a process that is undergoing change in 2026 with the opening of the new health office and introduction of Sailclear.
Step 1. Withdraw cash#
Depending on your nationality, when you arrive, and if you have pets, there may be some fees due on arrival. For now, Trinidadian Customs and Immigration only accept cash; TTD or USD (with their rate). The closest ATM is at the Peake Chandlery, so the fastest, easiest way to get there is to take your tender to Peake’s dinghy dock.
- At Immigration, not all nationalities have to pay for a visa waiver, but as Australians we did. Previously the fee was 400 TTD per person, but this was doubled at the start of 2026 to 800 TTD per person.
- At Customs, the fee Customs Declaration Fee should be around 80 TTD, plus 10 TTD extra for pet importation.
There are also additional fees at Customs and Immigration for checking in during “overtime hours”, which is anything outside of 8am-12pm and 1pm-4pm, Monday to Friday.
Step 2: Government Port Health Clearance#
Before Customs and Immigration you need to get a Government Port Health Clearance. In the past this was organized by liaising with your marina office or MSATT, but as of February 2026, Port Health have an office in Chaguaramas.
- Monday to Friday: 8am – 4pm
- Weekends and holidays: 6am – 6pm
The office is located at Crews Inn the blue long building with all the marine shops. Conveniently, this is also close to Customs and Immigration. The easiest thing to do is take your tender over and tie to the dock closest to the office.
Trinidad authorities generally do not take photocopies so you’ll need to bring your own. Take originals and (multiple) copies of your yacht papers, passports, exit paperwork from the last port of call, and pet paperwork.
Step 3: Pet clearance#
If you’re coming to Trinidad with your cat or dog then you’ll need to go through the pet importation process before you can visit Immigration. Check out our guide to bringing a pet to Trinidad for more information on that.
Step 4. Immigration#
Immigration and Customs are next to each other at Crews Inn. Immigration is upstairs in the yellow building, are open 6am-12pm then 1pm-6pm.
- Arrival and departure cards are filled out online and can be done within 72 hours of travel
- In 2026 Sailclear is being introduced to Trinidad, with the aim of streamlining Customs and Immigration. Previously there was a significant number of forms that needed to be filled out, some multiple times, so this is meant to reduce that. During the transition it’s still a good idea to prepare yourself for paper forms, and bring copies of the boat registration and passports.
- All crew members must visit Immigration. Dress neatly; shorts and t-shirts are okay as long as they’re clean and appropriate length.
Step 5. Customs#
The last step is visiting Customs, and only the Captain needs to attend. Again, while Sailclear is being introduced, it’s best to take copies of your boat registration and proof of ownership if it’s held by an LLC to avoid issues.
During your visit to Customs you will get the Customs and Excise Division Marine Pleasure Craft (PLC) Declaration Form. Keep it safe, as you will need to present it when you leave, and to clear any tax free yacht in transit goods.
Hauling out in Trinidad#
There are three places for sailboats to haul out in Chaguaramas:
The type of boat you have will impact whether or not a yard can haul you.
| Coral Cove | Power Boats | Peake |
| Small travel lift | Small travel lift and a catamaran trailer | Large travel lift |
During our first stay in Trinidad we chose Power Boats, who hauled us using this trailer.
Our second stay was at Peake Yachting Services, with the travel lift. Personally we prefer Peake because for a similar price to PowerBoats we had the advantages of air-conditioned toilets, hot water in the showers and a free courtesy bus for shopping and airport trips.
Marinas, moorings and anchoring#
If you want to stay in a marina the main option in Chaguaramas is Crews Inn. Coral Cove, Power Boats and Peake also have some dockage; the Peake dock can be rolly so the Power Boats C-Dock is generally considered the better choice.
On the other side of the Point Gourde is the TTSA which has mooring balls available for long and short term rental. There are also some mooring balls for hire in Chaguaramas in front of Peake and Power Boats.
People on anchor tend to sped time in other locations like Scotland Bay, Turtle Bay and Chacachacare Island.
Life in Chaguaramas#
Chaguaramas is a shipbuilding, yachting and boating hub with most of the shops and services in the area being focused specifically on the marine industry. Large swaths of the peninsular are protected with no residential housing, so it can feel quite isolated from Port of Spain.
Recreation#
Aside from going for a walk there aren’t any specific leisure facilities around the boat yards, but there are cruiser organized trips, a weekly BBQ on Thursdays at the Roti Hut (Power Boats), pickle-ball at TTSA, and a Friday “Lime” at Peake. During the 2024 hurricane season a group of motivated cruisers started a “Walking Club” which ended up developing into free yoga sessions, bike rides, morning walks and pizza lunches.
If you have a bicycle, car or don’t mind a longer walk, here’s 14 things to do in Chaguaramas, which make for a pleasant escape!
Security#
In our experience, the shipyards in Chaguaramas are safe and security is good. Out in the bay there were cases of dinghy theft so make sure you lock up, as you would in most countries.
In other areas be sensible. Situational awareness, vigilance, avoiding problem suburbs and using common sense are advisable.
Finding marine supplies in Trinidad#
Almost all of the marine suppliers in the Port of Spain area are in Chaguaramas, with the most significant exceptions being LP Marine and EchoTech watermakers. The main chandlery’s are the Boaters Shop at Power Boats, Peake Chandlery and Budget Marine, with businesses like Dumore and Foostols also being useful.
If you need a specialty part or item you may need to order it in from the US, but more on that later.
Trades and service businesses#
Across the shipyards and along Western Main Road there are a range of trades and smaller stores including riggers, canvas workers, wood workers, machine shops, painters, electricians etc. It is best to speak to other cruisers and look at examples of people’s work to get a sense of which businesses are better as there are very few online reviews.
When you do hire trades, be specific in what you want, the products being used, costs and timeline, keeping records to help avoid in disagreements down the line. For more advice, check out our Yacht Repairs Advice.
Yacht in Transit tax free imports#
If there’s something specific you need for yourself or your boat it’s likely you’ll need to import it into Trinidad. If you get the process right it can be very easy and as a bonus, yacht in transit goods have no tax.
To go into this topic in more detail I’ve written a complete guide on how to import Yacht in Transit goods into Trinidad tax free.
Grocery shopping and provisioning#
Food shopping in Chaguaramas is largely limited to the Dockside Mart at Power Boats, or Daniels Grocery which is on the opposite side of Western Main Road from Peake. Daniel’s carries a wide range of “stuff”, so is worth a look. Peake and Coral Cove also have a small stores,but stock is more snack based.
To go food shopping outside Chaguaramas:
- Get a Price Smart membership (Similar to Costco) and have groceries delivered to the boat
- Use a maxi taxi, TTRideshare or hire car to go to Massy Stores or West Bees
- Go on one of the weekly shopping trips organised by external providers
- If you’re at Peake, use the courtesy shuttle bus to join a shopping trip
- Join the cruisers bus to the Central Market, which was our top shopping destination for fresh produce
Aside from these options, there are a few other food stores to be aware of:
- Naughty Grape is a good place to buy foreign alcohol; they’re connected to the importer and will deliver to your boat
- Blooms Imports in Diego Martin has gourmet meat and was the most affordable place to buy imported lamb
- Peppercorns and Seafood Enterprises at The Falls shopping mall both sell gourmet and foreign foods.
Restaurants and eating out#
While I still maintain the best Trinidadian food is home cooked, there are some good restaurants and eateries around.
- The local food delivery service is foodDROP and they deliver to the yard – we ordered a lot from Casali’s Pizza Cafe, Papadums Indian Joint and Canton Asian Kitchen.
- If you’re heading out for a special occasion, the food and service at Samurai Japanese can be outstanding.
- For local craft beer and cider there’s Tommy’s Brewing Company, which is also served at Patches Bar and Grill at Peake.
- The Wheelhouse just past Coral Cove is popular with cruisers – we often went for dinner and pool, or got take-away as it’s very cost effective.
- At the Central Market there’s a food court with great local food – be sure to try the Aloo pie!
- Basil Bistro is a tiny place on Ariapita Avenue which serves great Italian inspired food with quality ingredients
Transportation#
To get in and out of Chaguaramas you can use:
- Big public bus (tickets MUST be pre-purchased)
- Yellow maxi taxis
- TTRideshare app
- Hire a car
- Hire someone you’ve met to drive you
Personally we stuck to the TTRideshare app and hiring cars. If you want to get a car then keep in mind they drive on the left in Trinidad and make sure the car has insurance.
Extending your Trinidadian visa#
Trinidad allows you to apply for a visa extension of up to 3 months at a time, and you can continually do this. Check out this blog for our experience.
Other tips#
Here’s a few other things that might be helpful!
- You can get gas bottles refilled at the NPS Filling Station or see the guardhouses at PowerBoats or Peake; there’s a local called Ian who does a well priced weekly gas run for cruisers.
- Diesel is subsidized by the government for locals so the petrol station prices are much lower than the yacht fuel docks.
- If you’re going to be in Trinidad at the start of the year then be aware it’s Carnival time, with celebrations starting months in advance. Having experienced it for ourselves, we’ve created a break down of the different Carnival events you could choose to go to.
Finally, Trinidad’s greatest gems are outside the boat yards. So do yourself a favor, and take the time to explore a waterfall or two.
One of the creators behind Travel Sketch, Telicia lives full-time aboard SV Liger. She’s a freelance writer who’s worked with a range of international companies, and serves as social media coordinator and magazine editor for noforeignland. With the Med and Caribbean done, she’s charting a course through the Pacific and Asia.
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