Which way to Honduras? - Page 4

funsailthekeys · #31 06-13-2008

Thought I'd add my 2 cents, I've made this trip 6 times and my next will be in April. I have taken the north route around Cuba any time from January through August. I have been to Cuba 7 times, the last being in November. The reality is that more likely than not if you want to stop in at Hemingway Marina in Havana nothing ill will come of it. There are Americans living full time there with out any problems. The crossing over from Florida will most likely be short choppy seas(4-6) feet. From the west side of Cuba hugging the coast it's a short hop(approx. 50 miles) to Cancun. I've only ever made this crossing once that the seas were 3 feet or possibly less. Staying about 10-15 miles off Cuba will keep you out of the current while you are heading west. A spinnaker will help save on fuel since you are in the most northerly Trade Winds. No book learning here just been there and done that (a lot). Since this is my back yard, I'm quite familiar with it. After all they cross the Atlantic in an open rowboat. Hope this helps.

arbarnhart · #32 06-13-2008

Buckeye,

I have been a quiet reader of this thread, because I am a small boat sailor and not really a blue water guy yet (someday). I think you are leaning toward a good answer, if you can find passage. You would get an opportunity to learn a lot and probably be a more informed buyer when you get back. My gut feeling, based largely on what I read and hear from others, is that your odds of it not working out as planned if you try to do it in the time alloted are kind of high. I am not a gloom and doom prophet who thinks you are going to get crushed by the sea. I am thinking about this as if I were contemplating it and with my level of experience (plenty of sailing, not that great at it, but no long cruises or big boats) and I would worry about accidentally damaging the boat or needed equipment by forgetting to do something at the appropriate time or trying to adapt my route to wind and current and having that not go as planned or whatever. If you read blue water cruising stories, you will find it is really common for people to have a long unplanned layover on thier first long trip, especially if they are pretty new to sailing. The failure I would be worried about is more likely to be disappointment than death (thought that would be fairly disappointing as well). If I understand correctly, even if things go well you won't have all that much time in Honduras.

buckeyesailor · #33 06-16-2008

Helps a lot Funsail.....thanks.......it's especially nice to hear from someone who's been there and done it.....

Arbarnhart.......thanks for your input as well.........

Time isn't really demanding........I'm self employed so if the trip takes 6 months that wouldn't really be too big of a deal......I had just penciled in three months to get back for the "work season"

arbarnhart · #34 06-17-2008

Hmmm - well then I will play devil's advocate to myself if time isn't that tight. If you find a ride, you will be on somone else's schedule. The perfect situation would be an experienced sailing companion (buddy boat or on your boat) that you could trust that would stay with or near the boat while you visited your daughter. I would still want to get the boat fairly soon to get used to the rigging and general handling to alleviate concern about accidentally boogering equipment on the trip. Not everyone does that, but it happens to a lot of us with the first boat. You forget to do something in sequence and break some fitting or block or whatever. It would not be that big of a deal if you are tooling around near well stocked marinas and your slip and your car.

fourgeau · #35 09-09-2008

Is the dog (a cairn terrier I assume) going along for the ride?. Mine enjoys sailing we had him offshore 4, 5 days at the time. He is only a bit unsecure when the going gets too tough.
On another subject. the advice of gaining experience crewing is an excellent one . You will soon discover that on the most uptodate vessel. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING WRONG. and you will gain valuable experinece learning how to fix them or jury rig them.
I have crewed thousand of offshore miles by joining Offshore sailing oportunities. It cost $150 for the year and you will find dozens of offers from the east coast (Newport all the way S to Ft Lauderdale ) to the carribean. starting November. there are also quite a lot of offers for the second leg from the Carribean to S and Central America.
All expenses onboard are paid.

bill352 · #36 09-09-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by artbyjody

There is only one thing I can add... Life is an adventure - true, but living life to its fullest is doing so where the risk is well founded with having reaped the rewards of experience and acquired aptitude of the adventure at hand, but devoid of dreamy intentions.

Finally, we're getting the discussion we need about those inspiring but wooly-headed quotes from Mark Twain and Sterling Hayden we see so often. Buckeye is simply suggesting the same thing, but without the famous name. I think Jody's post should be permanently affixed to those quotes wherever they appear.

Good luck, Buckeye, whatever you decide.

buckeyesailor · #37 09-09-2008

Actually, it's a Maltese/Silk Terrier mix......every man on the planet should pray for a woman who loves them like that dog loves me.....I'm a blessed man....

Still no concrete plans on getting to Honduras but leaning toward bumming a ride since I bought another house (to rehab) and really don't want to commit finances to anything else till it's sold.

Right you are Bill.......thanks all!

gdecon · #38 10-15-2008

I saw your original post and indeed plan to wade through all the discussion at some point.

Having "taken off" on my first cruises without much background and none in a sailboat large enough to cruise, I have only one suggestion.

Remember that being close to land should be a source of concern not reassurance. If you have a sound boat and are responsible about the weather nothing is going to happen to you. It's a little boaring if the wind goes down and you have nothing to look out.

In contrast, all cruisering sailboats are to some extent underpowered for motoring. When close to shore, staying out of trouble takes a lot of attention and there are lots of things to run into. Running aground is perhaps the most embarassing but is the most trivial of the possibilities.

Going with someone more experience might be a good idea. Having done that I have to add a couple of more thoughts. make sure whomever goes with you is experienced with cruising and comfortable sailing out of site of land. Sailing experience is almost irrelevent. Second, ultimately you can't deffer on matters of safety. It's your boat and your hide.

By the way, despite all the unfortunate events suggested by the above, I'd do it again, and I hope will, without a second thought .

pelapela76 · #39 11-03-2008

Hi, I dont know if you still want to do this trip,
but i want to add my 0.02 ,too .
I didnt have any experience sailing or on any sailboat .
and 5 years ago I bought my 27ft paceship, used, at the same time I bought some good books about sailing, Annapolis seamanship, storm tactis, and many others , I wanted to travel arround the caribbean, and go to bay islands honduras where i have some friends .
for 4 months I practice in intercoastal waters and bays. and slowly gained confidence and went sailing on the coast, and gulf stream, in florida .

I went bahamas, CUBA (please dont listen to every one, and do not miss it!! ),
isla mujeres, and found my way down, belize , and honduras .
the current againts me, sometimes make it dificult . It is very important DO NO BE IN A HURRY , never say "i have to be there xxx day" , because if that happens eventually you will sail from port with bad weather or not a perfect pronostic.

good luck and have fun!! .
PS: my total budget on this 9 months trip was 10k . and was enough.
with 20k, more than better, for EPIRB and more safety and charts.

eze

ps: sorry for my english .!!