Panama to Canada

[ldot87]

T Hey!
I currently have an Albin Vega 27 on the Carribean coast of Panama and need to sail it to either British Colombia or Nova Scotia in January/February. What is your opinion on the safest route to take at this time of year? I understand that this is not the best time of year but it is the only time I can make the trip. Is it worth the extra distance to go via Hawaii orcould i try my luck with the Atlantic. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thank you!

[DeepFrz]

Air Canada!

[donradcliffe]

If you go into the North Atlantic or Pacific in Jan/Feb, you will become a statistic. You could go to Hawaii and leave the boat there until summer--plan on about 60 days to get from Panama to Hilo.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Idot87.

[Caribsailors]

Why not up the Mississippi or the ICW or to Huston and truck it?

[zeehag]

on east coast there is icw
on west coast is mexico.
both have places to anchor and rest or head into a marina and rest.
west coast has pnw storms
east coast has coldasssnow.....
and then there is gulf coast with cold february and warmer march with tenntom and with ponchartrain and places to haul and ship on a truck...
mississippi has hella current against ye and shipping is closer to ye than in ocean....
mebbe hire a delivery skipper......

[s/v Moondancer]

One of the safest harbors in Nova Scotia is Baddeck Yacht Club on the Bra d'Or.

The picture is the Bra d'Or in winter...Truck it and join the ice hockey team!

[boatman61]

Truck it.. or leave it till Spring and get a delivery skipper... or sell her and buy something closer to home.

[jeremiason]

You are ignoring the one thing that puts sailors in more trouble than anything else... WHEN TO LEAVE!!!!

As previously stated, heading to the Pacific NW or the Eastern Seaboard during winter is not only foolhardily, but incredibly dangerous, especially with you limited amount of time to move the vessel.

I know the Pacific Coast better, so I will warn you that once you try and go north of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, you will be subject to regular winter storms for the rest of your trip and they increase in severity and frequency as you go north.

Also Pacific Central America and Southern Mexico is no picnic during this time frame with the Papgyo Winds off Costa Rica and the Tehuantepecs of Mexico... These can cause weeks of weather delays.

Best is to wait until early Spring and move North from Panama to Canada. If not wait till Fall and move your vessel to Mexico. Then wait till Spring and move north to Canada.

[hpeer]

Phonetically sound out the OPs moniker.