Florida to Panama mid November

[Sea to Sky]

We are in a 45 foot lagoon leaving South Florida for Panama in mid to late November. We hope to be in Colon by end of January. Anyone out there on a similar trajectory?

[belizesailor]

Whats your planned route?

[model 10]

You would need to skip the Rio on such a tight sched. Maybe MX to San Andres?

[Sea to Sky]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Whats your planned route?

we did the ARC last year and enjoyed coming up through the Caribbean and the Bahamas. As much as we would like to see the Florida keys I'm thinking back through the Bahamas and around east end of Cuba. However open to suggestions.

[belizesailor]

E end of Cuba...Windward Passage...from there you could make Providencia then on to Panama. Alternatively just head for Colon from the Windward Passage.

Off the top of my head, I think that should work, but check Pilot Charts to confirm.

Providencia is a great stop, but if south bound to Bocas del Toro then the Trades fade out at about 11N and its typically calm all the way to Bocas. This is generally true of W Panama. The seasonal Trades fill in in E Panama from about Colon East, but that typically happens around December. Again, I would consult Pilot Charts to confirm prevailing winds about your expected arrival time into the SW Carib.

If the Trades have filled in then you will get more wind if you stay more E...like Windard Passage to Colon or Providencia to Colon (though that may put you harder on the wind..it can be a lovely ride the other way round).

[oldjags]

It'll still be hurricane season, so you will have to keep an eye out. We had hurricane Otto here just off Bocas del Toro last December, and that was the first hurricane here in over 100 years. It ended up hitting Costa Rica, but it sat off the coast of Panama for a week before it moved on.

I highly recommend Cartagena, Colombia and the San Blas Islands if you are thinking about making a straight shot around the east of Cuba. We did it in 11 days from Key West, but again, keep an eye on the weather. We went at the beginning of hurricane season, so we didn't want to dilly-dally and risk getting caught in a storm. Got caught anyway! :-)

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by oldjags

It'll still be hurricane season, so you will have to keep an eye out. We had hurricane Otto here just off Bocas del Toro last December, and that was the first hurricane here in over 100 years. It ended up hitting Costa Rica, but it sat off the coast of Panama for a week before it moved on.

I highly recommend Cartagena, Colombia and the San Blas Islands if you are thinking about making a straight shot around the east of Cuba. We did it in 11 days from Key West, but again, keep an eye on the weather. We went at the beginning of hurricane season, so we didn't want to dilly-dally and risk getting caught in a storm. Got caught anyway! :-)

Hurricane Martha made landfall in Panamá in 1969, only hurricane ever to make Landfall in Panamá, but regardless...it would be excedingly rare to get caught by tropical weather anywhere near Panama. Once you get S of about 12N, tropical weather worries should be near nil.

Yes, Cartagena is a great stop. Pilot Charts dont show the persistent area of rough seas off Colombia starting to fill in until December...it can get pretty sporty after that.

To my knowledge you still can't clear in in the San Blas. Helped deliver a boat from Curaçau to Panamá via Cartagena Sept last year. A boat sailing in loose company with us stopped off for a night or two in the San Blas and no one hassled them, but they did have to continue on to Linton Bay Marina/Portobelo to clear in.

I just looked at pilot chart for November...odds are high it would be a sleigh ride all the way from Windward Passage to Colon.

[model 10]

[QUOTE=belizesailor;2482511] I just looked at pilot chart for November...odds are high it would be a sleigh ride all the way from Windward Passage to Colon.



That just about blows my mind. I didn't realize it could be like that. Non stop?

[belizesailor]

[QUOTE=Guy;2482524]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

I just looked at pilot chart for November...odds are high it would be a sleigh ride all the way from Windward Passage to Colon.



That just about blows my mind. I didn't realize it could be like that. Non stop?

Per Pilot Charts nearly 100% chance of NE-E winds so yes...should be a lovely sail all the way.

Ive made the run from Windward Passage to Bay Islands. Beautiful easy tradewinds sail all the way except for a bit of light air around Jamaica, but much deeper down wind.

We had much higher windspeeds actually in the Windward Passage. Caught a front out of the Bahamas. Sustained winds were about 25 from the NW. Gap Effect of Windward Passage amped those up to 30 gusting 35 and confused seas of 8-12', but wind was from NW so it was a great run.

Heading up toward Colon just puts you more on beam-broad reach angle.

What Pilot Charts dont show in detail is the complex winds and currents around Panamá.

[belizesailor]

Ran a quick weather routing, winds are all screwed up because of Maria, but currents are mostly favorable until near Panamá.

Image below shows the complex currents off Panamá.