Jamaica to Panama or Aruba to Panama ?

[chuckr]

We did the reverse as we sailed from Miami to Mexico and down and around to Panama and Cartagena and back to Panama then did a 5 day sail to Jamaica sailing 42 degs to the wind for 5 days or so.
If you reverse it it would have been a great down hill run and very fast and miss the worse winds off the Colombia that can make route very uncomfortable. Oh and do not forget the major river flowing in the Carib down near the Colombia point that will be full of logs ect if it has rained up stream. There have been some posting on that here someplace.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Nov is still the rainy season. Multiple boats got hit by lightening in one anchorage in the San Blas just a few weeks ago (ask Mark for the details). Sometime between the end of Nov and say mid-Dec the rainy season stops and the Christmas winds, aka trades, start back up. So it is a transition time of year. Both paths that you describe should be an OK passage. I'd rather show up in the San Blas latter, rather earlier -- but I'm a lightening chicken -- only because I foolishly put a 65 foot piece of aluminum straight up in the air on my boat.

Yeah, I did that, too, though not quite as tall as yours.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by chuckr

We did the reverse as we sailed from Miami to Mexico and down and around to Panama and Cartagena and back to Panama then did a 5 day sail to Jamaica sailing 42 degs to the wind for 5 days or so.
If you reverse it it would have been a great down hill run and very fast and miss the worse winds off the Colombia that can make route very uncomfortable. Oh and do not forget the major river flowing in the Carib down near the Colombia point that will be full of logs ect if it has rained up stream. There have been some posting on that here someplace.

Yes, at Barraquilla. I think the strong outflowing current from that river (can't remember the name offhand) is the main thing that makes that stretch so treacherous.