Route suggestions to USVI ??

[elbowtidwell]

Curious to get the forums input on December route planning from the southeastern United States (anywhere from SC to FL) to USVI.

Routing suggestions and/or feedback if one departed early December, traveling in a full-displacement 60' bluewater trawler, 8 knots cruising speed, allowing yourself approximately 4 weeks to make the trip?

I've poured over 'The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South' and are familiar with I-65...these being the bookends on timing. Not looking to do a 7+day passage and dont have a year to burn to get there! And a lot of what I have read incorporates a sailing perspective. Is it reasonable to think December can offer a few weather windows to break up the journey into 3-5 segments consisting of 24-48 hour passages? Alternatively, a combination of a few day passages with an extended multi-day. I understand past years weather isn't a predicter of future patterns, but trying to better understand when the wind shifts in your favor, how long of a window does one typically get?

We would have the crew to comfortably extend a segment if the conditions allow for it, and are under NO timetable to force us to be anywhere by a particular date adding unnecessary risk and/or discomfort. Just trying to educate myself on routing options and the feasibility of completing the trip in December.

Appreciate the input! Cheers

 

[ranger58sb]

Sorry for formatting, but if you can make sense of this, it's an overview of stops I saw on a blog from several years ago. The boat was a planing powerboat, probably averaging around 20-ish kts.

They originally departed from someplace like Boston or some such, but I only paid attention to the route from Hillsboro Inlet onward. I have their TO and FROM listed backwards, starting from St. Thomas as if I had just bought a boat from near there. Distances are for each leg, followed by the total.


NM To (Mary E, read up) From (Mary E, read up)
74 St. Thomas Club Nautico Marina San Juan
127 Club Nautico Marina San Juan, PR Punta Cana Punta Cana
169 Punta Cana Oceanworld Puerto Plata, DR
174 Oceanworld Puerto Plata, DR Turtle Cove Marina Turks & Caicos
5 Turtle Cove Marina Turks & Caicos Turks & Caicos YC Turks & Caicos
162 Turks & Caicos YC Turks & Caicos Clarence Town Long Island, Bahamas
109 Clarence Town Long Island, Bahamas Staniel Cay Staniel Cay
67 Staniel Cay Nassau Nassau
110 Nassau Bimini Bimini
60 Bimini Hillsboro Hillsboro
1057

-Chris

 

[Hippocampus]

For sail the classic voyage is mouth of Chesapeake to BVI or Antigua. Classic time down is beginning of November. Would try for that not December. Both Caribbean 1500 and Salty Dawg ( used them multiple times) rally basically follow this.
If you have the range would do something similar. After hurricane season and before winter storms. You go a bit south of Bermuda but it’s available if needed. On a 46’ sailboat did it in as little as 8 days but as much as 12 sailing g very conservatively. You likely are looking at a week. Possibly a day less if no weather. In the fall not unlikely to deviate from the great circle to miss weather and that’s even more likely in the winter as well. Only really key timing you run into commonly is no wind against water for the Gulf Stream in early November. No north to the wind then at all makes for a pleasant trip. If you wait much later likely will have more fronts to miss. We like to leave just after a front has passed through. Think that’s particularly true the later in the year you are. It’s cold until you get south of Bermuda in November. Winter gear on deck and hydronic heat on inside. If starting later would not worry about the fuel bill and stage(leave) as far south as feasible (probably Miami/Lauderdale) then stay on the Caribbean Sea side of the islands throughout once past the Bahamas (Bahamas aren’t part of the Caribbean and do see some significant winter weather particularly north part). You’re in SE US so think weather routing through the Bahamas is your biggest concern . Once past PR would straight shoot to the most eastern island you will want to see. It’s nearly always easier to go west than east. I assume you want to be out of the zone before hurricane season and above 40N for summer. If not Trinidad or southern Grenada are considered out of the zone by most insurances. Then going west to east island hopping makes sense. Have done VIs to Georgetown to FLA or mid Atlantic states in the spring migration. That’s an easy trip as is VIs to Newport RI. It’s getting there that’s hard.

Would note I’ve had friends leave January or February and had no difficulties.. you just never know. Alsohave also heard of miserable trips doing the gentleman’s way

 

[Sealife]

December is a little late. And you will need to minimize stops to save time. Go earlier and enjoy stops.