Florida direct to Turks and Caicos

[RhosynMor]

DUe to the high entrance cost for a short stop, and our just on 7 foot draft, we are consideribng a direct passage from florida to the Turks and Caicos, has anyone done this passage?
it appears from the chart as if we may be better of going direct from Charleston.... most of the cruing guides to this area seem to assume one is going to the Bahamas first.
any info would be greatly appreciated.
We need to leave Florida by the middle of january

[imagine2frolic]

7ft. will be a small hindrance in the Bahamas. That, and the fee should not stop you from exploring them. Unless you have done the Bahamas before you will be doing yourself, and crew a disservice by missing them. BEST WISHES in getting to the Turks safely.......i2f

[night0wl]

So if draft isn't an issue, I'm hard pressed to understand the logic of taking the large risks of an entirely offshore passage to save ~$400 in fees. Is your vessel in good condition? If not and your vessel isn't hardened to the point of full offshore capable, you're virtually gauranteed that something will break or stop working. Well offshore, you will not be able to get the service yards to effect repairs...so more risk.

I'm struggling to understand the rationalizaiton. If it were a timing need (no time to stop along the way) perhaps I'd understand, but even then...cruising on a timetable is a recipe for making hasty bad decisions.

Seems to be more prudent to just go through the Bahamas.

[RhosynMor]

Night owl, not worried about the offshore passage, Rhosyn Mor has completed two trans meds, and a transatlantic, and is fully found for offshore work. and perhaps draft is not an issue, but looking at the charts it seemed as if it would be. I was thinking perhaps to get a leg up on the early part of the passage, and give myself more time to get out of the hurricane belt later on in the year. It seems a little extravagant to spend $300 to pass through the Bahamas in a couple of weeks. We are still in the planning stages of this part of the voyage and just trying to lay out the various options. Our only real timeline is to be in Central/ south America by about late june 2010

[imagine2frolic]

When you beak it down in cost. That's $21.43 per day for a 2 week stay. That's pretty inexpensive, and you can use it on the way home within 6 months if you return. Seems pretty inexpensive for a leisurely sail? Especially if you take into consideration your total worth of the boat, and getting her ready to travel.

I haven't looked at the Turks charts in 6 years, but it seems to me they are very shallow like the Bahamas? Once again which ever way you decide. BEST WISHES in a succesful, and FUN trip......i2f

[TQA]

Look at the charts again! You can do most of the Bahamas with 7 feet. Yes there are times you will need to be off the inner banks and play the tides to be safe but you would be missing lots of fun sailing. From memory a southern departure from Marsh Harbour might not be on but most other routes are.