Is Cayman a Viable Option ?

[xeon_tsd]

Is the wind always from the west? Or does it change in winter? If leaving from Texas in Oct/Nov could one sail south to the Caymans, and then East to VI? I know there are some long slogs in there, and it would suck if it was into the wind the whole time from Cayman. My guess is this is true 'cause i cant find anyone who does anything but leave from FL....even those here in TX.

[sww914]

Go here to download the pilot charts- http://www.offshoreblue.com/navigation/pilot-charts.php

Chose your months and your sea and download what you need. The directions are clear and the charts will show you exactly when & where the wind blows.

[s/v Moondancer]

If you go east on the northerlies caused by fall lows crossing the southern US the trip is passable but if you are slogging into the trades than you will find it a very hard.

The Yucatan passage is not very nice in the northerlies and we listened to two 'mayday rescues' in a 3 day period of strong northerlies.

October is still hurricane season and if you check the link your route might not be a good one in October.

File:Typical North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Formation in October.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I did the trip from Cancun to the BVI recently and went via Miami and then sailed east to 66W and then south on the trades. Compared to my two previous trips of beating into the trades and current it was a very pleasant and easy trip, it just took 3-4 days longer.

Yes, longer was definitely easier as we say in East Tennessee:

"Sometimes you just cain't get from here to there, you have to go some place else first!"

[John A]

Originally Posted by xeon_tsd

Is the wind always from the west? Or does it change in winter? If leaving from Texas in Oct/Nov could one sail south to the Caymans, and then East to VI? I know there are some long slogs in there, and it would suck if it was into the wind the whole time from Cayman. My guess is this is true 'cause i cant find anyone who does anything but leave from FL....even those here in TX.

I doubt if the wind ever blows from the west in the Caribbean Sea. I travelled from the Caymans to St Thomas from December to June and found that the wind, swell, and current always came from the east. To add to the frustration the wind, swell, and current seldon are on the sme track. Which meant that most times the swell was 10 or 15 degrees different in their direction from the wind, making 120* tacks the norm. Somedays the forward progress for 24 hours was less than 50 miles.
While in DR another owner of a Erickson 36, who was making the same passage, estimated that the trip was taking 5 years off of his boat's life.

[imagine2frolic]

It blew steadily from the southwest when leaving Cuba to the west of us, and headed for Panama..........i2f

[xeon_tsd]

I said form the west... oops I ment from the East to the West... hadnt had breakfast yet. sorry. I am ok with leaving in Nov., ff I am to leave in Oct it would be the last week or so. I am very familiar with the hurricane season as I work at a company that deals with evacuation and sheltering durring hurricanes in Texas and South Carolina. Leaving will definately be dictated by the weather, no matter which way we set off.