Reality Check: FL -> PR -> VI -> Beyond...

[Globalksp]

Greetings all,

Wonderful community you have here. I've been trawling the boards for a day or two, have found some great information and am now ready to seek advice and opinion. Apologies in advance if this becomes a lengthy post.

Summer in New Orleans is brutal and business is slow and because of that I try to get away for a while during the doldrums. I need to be in Puerto Rico on July 1st for a wedding and this got me thinking that I should use PR as a jump off point for my summer adventures. Having lived in STT back in '05 - 06 the idea of a summer sail popped into my head. Not wanting to revisit too much of the past I got to thinking of sailing as far south as time, finances, and wherewithal allowed. I should add here that I: 1)don't own a boat 2)don't know how to sail anything larger than a Hobie Cat 3)have 2.5 months to throw this together.

After much internal excitement, I made some phone calls to friends who I thought would be interested. I ended up with 2-3 people (and one water-rat of a Dalmatian) ready to sign on (one of whom is/was a captain in St Thomas and thus a crucial figure in the success of the trip) and a basic idea of a "perfect scenario". From this mental drawing board I'm trying to get back in touch with reality and see just what is possible. I've been known to concoct crazy adventures like this and also known to carry a few out, so, a few hurtles won't scare me away. I have a feeling a few of you will get a good chuckle out of the following, and if so, I'm glad for it. Let's have fun with it.

The Plan: Purchase a seaworthy vessel in southern Florida for $2,000-$3,000 that needs little to no work. Crew/friends meet at boat and we set off for Puerto Rico, needing to arrive in San Juan by June 29th. After the wedding, head to STT and wind our way through the Drake Channel stopping to say hi to friends before continuing east/southeast. Ideally we'd be able to make it to Saint Lucia. Wherever we end up, make arrangements for the sale of the boat before flying back home. Simple, right?


For our price range we won't be able to afford much, if anything seaworthy over 30'. From my early searches I've found a few nice Pearson's that I like in the $2500-4,000 range in Florida. We'll sacrifice comfort for an affordable boat but don't want to sacrifice safety for an affordable boat. No one is sure just how long they'll be able to stay away from home. I personally am ready to take 1 - 2 months to see this through but all are committed to a majority rule for ending the trip early if need be. I've read that sailing from FL to PR isn't so much a piece of cake, especially during early summer. Folks have been suggesting the "thornless" route through the Bahamas as the best choice.

My brain is cranking through tons of options and possibilities but I'll leave it there and let the conversation take its own course. Thanks for your input!

-K