routes to Caribbean

[almostbroke]

Greetings- I am interested in any info on routes to the Caribbean from the panhandle of Florida. Specifically, the BVI''s and further south. I have taken Van Sant''s route as far as the Dominican Republic previously, but would be anxious to hear about other options and planning advice. I would not be against skipping the Bahamas, Turks, Hispanola, and Puerto Rico if necessary. There seems to be a few routes from the US east coast, but not much info from the gulf (or Keys). I have Cornell''s World cruising routes, but would like to hear from others.

[WHOOSH]

Almost:

You are only seeing one set of routes to the E Caribbean because the only other options when departing from the Panhandle are via the Yucatan Channel, after which you get to slog all the way across the Caribbean against wind, wave & current OR you pass by Key West and do the same obnoxious run along the Old Bahama Channel while trying to a) dodge shipping and b) staying 12 NM off Cuba.

Assuming neither of those appeal (and they shouldn''t...) and you pass thru the Seven Mile Bridge cut near Vaca Cay, you can conceptually choose one of two options: island hop as you started doing last time, or try for an extended offshore run from the Eastern Bahamas to the Virgins or PR using a frontal passage. This occasionally works - it depends on the front being somewhat benign and also stalling - but most boats end up sliding south after the front''s N winds clock back to the SE and you begin painfully slugging into it.

VanSant''s book is excellent IMO and his advice on prevailing conditions and watching weather can be read multiple times with value coming from each reread.

One last thought: don''t be too quick to dismiss Puerto Rico. It''s a gem as a cruising destination all on its own, it offers numerous logistical benefits (USPS service, 800#s, etc.) and perhaps most important, it will help any American to become more knowledgeable about one of our Commonwealths that has been poorly treated for perhaps 500 years and also needs some help in growing up and escaping its indulged, dysfunctional life style. But aside from its value as a Civics Lesson, each of the four PR coasts offers a unique and worthwhile experience. And Steve Pavlidis'' new guide (with which we did a trial run before it was finalized for publication) was a great companion; the chartlets are outstanding.

Jack

[wakai]

Have done old bahama channel and in winter its not fun, unless you like 15 to 20 ft seas and the wind in your face for 8 days when you get to peruto rico it will be paradice. I would look in to cruising Cuba as the government down their is trying to accomidate more tourism and the cost of everything is very reasonable. (nice to go some place where you don''t need a large cruising stash) Dont beleive the B.S. put out by the U.S Goverment its a great cruising area and as safe as any where you can cruise.

[almostbroke]

Thanks for the info Jack. I definitely don''t want to go the Yucatan route. We came back from the DR through the Old Bahama Channel to Marathon, it was a nice trip but of course we were headed in the opposite direction. It doesn''t seem like it would be much fun to head the other way through there. Watching for shipping traffic doesn''t bother us too much. As far as the easting approach, what would be the logical jumping off points? It seems to get the full effect of a front you should leave from somewhere in the northern Bahamas, but we may run out of room with so much distance to cover. By leaving further south, would there be enough NW-NE to do us any good? How far south do the fronts go in Dec-Feb? Would easting from the Turks be an option? From San Salvador? We definitely plan to visit PR, but would like to got there on the way home if possible. As for Pavlidis, I wish his new guides were available now! I have used his Turks & Caicos guide, as well as his various Bahamas guides. We just got PR and Trinidad, and are anxiously awaiting for the rest of the chain by him. Thanks for the info.

[almostbroke]

I wish I could go to Cuba, but it is too much trouble for US citizens now, even with Treasury dept licenses. Maybe after the election.....

[WHOOSH]

AB:

Insofar as the ''right'' jumping off point, I don''t think there is one. The farther down the island chain you go, the more southing you make and the less slant you give yourself once the wind clocks back to the East. Some folks have had good passages from San Salvador (which they chose because of its far eastern location relative to the Bahamas) but, even with the stalled front, some hard work to windward is going to be required. Sometimes boats don''t like that, sometimes crews don''t like it, and sometimes nobody does!

Dec-Feb is the height of the Christmas Trades, when the wind settles into a stiff wind patter oscillating between ENE and SE. That''s also when fronts are deepest and penetrate furthest south and east. So you''re picking the toughest time slot to do the toughest run, if that makes sense. Can you alter the time frame just a bit, perhaps waiting until the March-April period?

Let me suggest a third alternative, somewhat a hybrid approach. How about planning an island routing but in big legs of 3 days or so, each? You''ll miss tons of good cruising grounds but the time frame is short enough that weather won''t be too much of a surprise (you do have good wx f''cast capability offshore in the Boonies, right?) and you''ll be able to rest and repair what breaks on a regular basis. This would allow you to use frontal passages to their best benefit, and good wx watching should preclude the front being stronger than you expect. You might consider:
1. Nassau to Georgetown
2. Georgetown to Turtle Bay, Provo
3. Provo (perhaps via Sand Cay) to Samana
4. Samana to Mayaguez/Puerto Real/Boqueron
5. Day hop to the Virgins
Even tho'' the runs are of shorter duration, they will be tough windward legs except when you can catch a front. Then it will be rough but with sheets eased.

Read VanSant''s book one more time re: weather. There''s barely a comma he gets wrong in there...and good luck!

Jack