Virginia to Ecuador

[matti81]

Hello

I currently live in Norfolk, potentially moving to Ecuador within the coming year.

So I am entertaining the idea of purchasing a boat locally, sailing/motoring south via ICW, island hopping the Caribbean, then to Panama, finally south to Bahia. Knowing this will be no easy feat, I am asking for your thoughts (good or bad) or any valuable experiences to learn from.
Estimated time? Is this realistic or just another crazy idea!?

Also, crew and financing should not be an issue

Thank You

[osirissail]

Not crazy but allow a year to get to Ecuador. Both the Caribbean and the Pacific coast line south are "seasonally dependent." Only during a short period each year are the conditions reasonable to be heading that way. So you will have plenty of time to kill in the various islands/countries along the way.

[callmecrazy]

the season is just now passing.... You can take the next six months to buy and outfit a boat, then make it down there by this time next year. Its totally doable, but not so simple...

You would be best off getting a boat in California and sailing south after a few months....

[John A]

Three of the boats that I sailed with off and on down from Mazatlin to Panama, departed Panama and took a wide loop out into the Pacific to approach Ecuador from the south as the main current travels counter-clockwise in the Southren Hemisphere.
I believe they also required a local guide to travel thru the surf lines.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

. . . You would be best off getting a boat in California and sailing south after a few months....

Now, that's the best suggestion yet. You avoid a lot of lost time waiting for the best "season" in two different basins and chop your transit time significantly. Not mention see an area not normally traveled by "easterners."