Trawler Cruise from Miami FL to San Juan PR

[yarokil]

Can someone recommend best route, and stop-overs for refueling?
Plan to do it at 8-9 knots.

[osirissail]

Long time ago another power yacht asked the same question. First off you should have about 400 nm of range which can be achieved, if your boat doesn't have that much fuel internally, by temporary drums of fuel being stored on the aft deck. The longest leg between refueling is from Georgetown to Provo or about 260 nm.
- - Roughly the refueling stops are:
Bimini; Nassau; and Georgetown, Exumas in the Bahamas;
Provo in the Turks and Caicos;
Ocean World, Puerto Plata and Samana.
- - From Samana, D.R. to San Juan, P.R. is about 200nm.
- - Or if you want more interesting shorter distances or calmer waters you can go from Samana, D.R. to Punta Cana then Mona Island and Boqueron, P.R. Then along the south and east coasts of P.R. with fuel stops at Ponce and any of the east P.R. marinas.
- - Simply chart the most direct routes between those points and add any additional stops according to your interests.
- - If you do not have active stabilizers on the boat then your speed will be limited to that which you and the boat can physically endure. For a 42ft Nordic Tug that was about 8 to 8.5 knots.
- - From the Turks and Caicos to the D.R. to Puerto Rico you will be plowing upwind and into some good waves. Picking your "weather windows" is critical to making the journey endurable.

[yarokil]

Thank you, Osirissail - much appreciated.
Yes, I do have a 400-450 nm safe range.
Why not the route south out of Miami then along north coast of Cuba (at a safe distance!).

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by yarokil

Thank you, Osirissail - much appreciated.
Yes, I do have a 400-450 nm safe range.
Why not the route south out of Miami then along north coast of Cuba (at a safe distance!).

You would be looking at 500nm to Great Inagua the first fuel stop and also nowhere to pull in for a rest or repairs, etc. along the way. Besides which you would be going "up-current" and into the full Trade Winds the whole way.
- - Going through the Bahamas affords you opportunities to not only refuel but to stop for food, supplies and a rest from the 24 hour per day pounding on you and the boat. Conditions on the Banks is much better than in deep water so you can make much better speed with a lot less pounding.
- - Basically, the "Old Bahamas Channel" route works for heading west but not very well for eastbound journeys.

[yarokil]

Originally Posted by osirissail

You would be looking at 500nm to Great Inagua the first fuel stop and also nowhere to pull in for a rest or repairs, etc. along the way. Besides which you would be going "up-current" and into the full Trade Winds the whole way.
- - Going through the Bahamas affords you opportunities to not only refuel but to stop for food, supplies and a rest from the 24 hour per day pounding on you and the boat. Conditions on the Banks is much better than in deep water so you can make much better speed with a lot less pounding.
- - Basically, the "Old Bahamas Channel" route works for heading west but not very well for eastbound journeys.

Thanks again, Osirissail.
BTW - if not private, why the Egiptian god?

[skipmac]

Unless things have changed since my last stop there you can fuel in Clarencetown Long Island, leaving about 200 nm to Provo as the longest leg.

Henry Majors has been the dock master there for years, hope he is still around. He always kept a close eye on the fuel storage, regularly checking for water and contamination by draining samples from the bottom of the tank.

[osirissail]

Yes, Clarencetown, Long Island can be used as a refueling stop, but it is sort of off the direct route and only 50 nm from Georgetown. However, if checking the prices of fuel there and in Georgetown results in better deal in Clarencetown then skipping Georgetown and refueling in Clarencetown would be better.

- - The Egyptian God Osiris is noted for two major things - resurrection or being reborn and the phrase "pull yourself together." His job was to row the boat from this life to the next life so was apt to my boat's transition from a stripped out derelict to a state of the art vessel when I had finished "re-manufacturing" it. The Egyptians did not have a specific death God so their myths had Osiris being repeated killed by other Gods in the attempt to defeat death. Of course that doesn't really work, so each time Osiris was killed, the next day he was back at work. So finally the other Gods killed him and scattered his parts all over Egypt. Didn't work as the next day Osiris "pulled himself together" and got back to his job.

[yarokil]

thank you...definitely a much better outcome than Sisyphus'!!!

[skipmac]

It is a slight detour to Clarencetown but bet it would not add more than 10 miles or so compared to the direct route. Mainly like it as an interesting stopover. Off the beaten track and very picturesque but definitely not the place for night life and excitement.

Guess it depends on whether you are in a hurry to get south or want to stop and smell the roses.

[speciald@ocens.]

Small point - remember that you will be against the prevailing winds and current for most of the trip so you will not get your usual range on your fuel supply.

[yarokil]

Not so "small" - very good point...much appreciated!