Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao — the ABC Islands — sit at the southern edge of the Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela. For boat owners they offer something most of the region can’t: calm, sheltered sailing year-round, outside the hurricane belt, with the marine infrastructure to buy, keep, register and insure a vessel close to home. This page covers what makes the islands work as a yachting base — and why we’re based here.
Curaçao has regular direct flights from Amsterdam, Miami, New York, Panama City, Bogotá, Toronto and Montreal, so a boat kept here stays easy to reach from both Europe and the Americas. Aruba and Bonaire are a short hop away by air or water. Willemstad’s deep natural harbour, the Schottegat, and the protected anchorage of Spanish Waters give vessels of all sizes safe, sheltered access.
– Outside the main hurricane belt
– Deep natural harbour (Schottegat) and the protected Spanish Waters anchorage
– 35+ beaches and protected coves
– A blend of European and Caribbean culture
– Full provisioning, fuel and marine services on the island
Curaçao sits at roughly 12°N, well south of the usual hurricane formation and track zone, and Aruba and Bonaire share that advantage. For owners this is practical, not just reassuring: insurers recognise the lower risk, which keeps premiums down and lets you use and store a boat here all year rather than moving it south each season.
– Curaçao Marine (CMZ) — curacaomarinezone.com
– Seru Boca Marina and Barbara Beach Marina — the Santa Barbara marinas in Spanish Waters — serubocamarina.com
– The View Marina, Curaçao under development
– Boatyard Bonaire (BYB) — boatyardbonaire.com
These relationships move the practical side of ownership: haul-outs, surveys, berthing, and the registration and import paperwork that comes with a Caribbean purchase.
Curaçao has three golf courses within easy reach of the marinas:
– Old Quarry Golf Course — Santa Barbara, Spanish Waters — oldquarrygolf.com
– Blue Bay Golf Course — bluebay-curacao.com
– Curaçao Golf Club, Emmastad — curacaogolf.com
The ABC Islands have some of the clearest water in the Caribbean, with coral reefs, walls and wrecks close to shore and good visibility most of the year — a real draw whether you dive from your own boat or charter locally.
Each island has its own character: steady trade winds for windsurfing in Aruba, a protected marine park and shore diving in Bonaire, and secluded coves plus the offshore run to Klein Curaçao from Curaçao. Conditions suit both relaxed cruising and more active sailing.
The islands carry a mix of Dutch and Caribbean history. Willemstad’s colonial waterfront is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and each island has its own food, music and pace ashore.
If you’re thinking about buying, selling or basing a boat in the Dutch Caribbean, we live and work here and know the local market, the yards and the paperwork. Get in touch and we’ll help you find the right yacht — or the right buyer.