Miami to Cartagena, Colombia

[christianvargas1982]

Does anyone have any advice on sailing a small boat from Miami to Cartagena Colombia? I've read some reports about the weather being very bad along the north coast of Colombia, particularly from the northern tip of the country all the way down to Cartagena...
I'm wondering what the best route would be for a small boat (26 feet LOA), in such a way that I wouldn't have to make too many long passages and also in such a way that I would be sailing, not motoring...

going counter-clockwise would seem initially kind of sensible but looking at the charts, the Central American coast doesn't seem to offer enough protected anchorages...
going clockwise would be nice, but then there is the reportedly awful weather north of Cartagena, West of the ABCs... and the northern Colombian coast also doesn't seem to offer much in the way of protected anchorages...

My current boat is a 1970 Pearson 26 which has been recently rerigged by a previous owner and it seems to be structurally in very good shape (to be verified at some point by a surveyor) so I'd like to not waste time and money finding other boats for the trip but instead, make the necessary adjustements to this one...

any thoughts on the best route and best time of the year for something like this? this is a long term goal that I'd like to pursue within the next couple of years...

thanks,

[magnusmurphy]

I am currently in SAnta Marta, Colombia and have been here a month. Well, the boat has - we've been touring and trekking inland. Out of the four weeks here, the wind has blown up to 35 knts (mostly high twenties with gusts to high 30s) every single day for at least three weeks. Other cruisers here have seen gusts in the fifties. Right now there is NO wind but predicted to blow again in two days, for about four days. Of course, when that happens, the seas pick up accordingly. In the harbor here are two boats that were damaged severely in the Western Caribbean. One cat got holed on the bridgedeck by a wave and monohull got pooped. Both 'drifted' into Santa Marta even though they were both headed for Jamaica initially.

Point is - the wind here can really blow and the seas can pick up. That said, we waited for two weeks in Aruba for the right window and had a fantastic sail. Just don't try to be smart or cocky with the weather. If it blows - WAIT!

Magnus Murphy

[christianvargas1982]

that is a lot of wind! thanks for the message! good luck!

[glenvk]

Hi Magnus.
I am in Martinique and thinking of following your route through the ABC's to Santa Marta. Could you let me know what you are using for weather forecasts? Also have you had any trouble with pirates arround there, or heard of anyone who has?
Glen