Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy007
Hi Hud,
I will sail for two weeks from Guadelupe (and back) at the end of January 2009 on the 38 feet chartered Lagoon, just with my wife. Any tips? Is it too ambitious to go to British Virgin Islands and back? What do you think?
Best regards, Andy
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Hi, Andy.
Let's parse it out...
Guadeloupe to Antigua or
Nevis is a day's
passage, downwind.
Antigua or
Nevis to St. Martin, is another day.
St. Martin (Marigot Bay) to Virgin Gorda is a long day, still downwind.
So there you have three full days of sailing. You'd add at least a day on Antigua (or Nevis) and St. Martin to clear in and out and relax a bit ashore.
Going back to
Guadeloupe (I assume it would be Pointe-a-Pitre) you will have to pay the piper for all that easy downwind sailing. Clear out of the
BVI in Spanish Town and
head up to North Sound. Leave at 4 pm or so for an overnight crossing of the
Anegada Passage to Marigot, St. Martin, or Simpson Bay, St. Maarten. If the wind's up, that can be a really nasty and slow passage, with the
current against you most of the way. Anything over 18 kts or so will be an uncomfortable bash, and the trades can blow pretty strongly that time of year. You could be forced to wait in Virgin Gorda for the winds to abate. There are worse places to wait! You might be able to actually sail on a close reach from VG to
Saba, but the anchorage there is very rolly if there are any swells.
From St. Maarten, you could
head over to Nevis (much easier to clear in and out in Charlestown than in Basseterre, St. Kitts). Then from Nevis to Deshaies, Guadeloupe (72 nm motor-sailing close to the wind). From Deshaies to Pointe-a-Pitre is another day, and the part from the southern tip of Terre Haute to P-a-P can be another beat.
So, getting from Guadeloupe to the
BVI is the easy part. Getting back on a schedule could
work fine, if the
weather cooperates. If not, it's a long, hard, wet bash. You may want to consider sticking closer to Guadeloupe. Antigua, Nevis, and
Dominica are great places to visit, and only a day away. And don't miss Les Iles des Saintes in Guadeloupe--very picturesque.
I can give you some specific recommendations if you like.
p.s. Welcome to the Forum!