Planning a trip - South America, Central America, Gulf States, lower Caribbean

[krismurphy01]

I’m just starting to plan my trip around what I call the big loop and tail. Yes, I’m thinking it would be nice to do an extended coastal cruise leaving Miami and hitting the following points. Not sure of the risks or the best places to go and would welcome your insights. Of course, I need to figure our best cruising routes considering trade winds, currents, safety, fun and adventure.
1. Miami Departure point
2. Circumnavigate Florida
a. Keys
b. Marco Island
c. Sarasota
d. Tampa
e. Not sure what else is interesting
f. Panama City
3. Alabama
4. Louisiana
5. Texas
6. Central America
7. Belize
a. Honduras - Very interested in Roaton
b. Panama
c. Nicaragua
d. Costa Rica
8. South America
a. Colombia
b. Venezuela
c. Brazil
d. Argentina
e. Uruguay
f. Cape Horn - nervous about rough seas – would rather turn around or navigate those rivers (if possible). How hard is it to cross this section in the right time of year – are there options? High but maybe there are good times to cross this or possibly other options

The big questions:
1. What have others done and what works best?
2. What doesn’t make sense?
3. Can I really do coastal sailing all the way around?

[William King]

You would be safer to go back north and go thru canal in Panama. Cost is a little over $1,000 to go thru canal.

[garrobito]

..Go down that way you're gonna hit current and wrong wind.. easier to go trough Panama, pacific colombia, peru, chile, argentina..

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by garrobito

..Go down that way you're gonna hit current and wrong wind.. easier to go trough Panama, pacific colombia, peru, chile, argentina..

Going down that side to Pto Montt will either be fairly hard work along the coast...mainly day sailing as the sea breezes blow parallel to the coast and can really crank up. Going offshore also hard work.... budget on 30 days or so from Easter Island... I've known boats to take 40.
I've only been up as far as Iquique along the Chilean coast...canceled my trip to Peru as just all too difficult re fees and nonsense from agents...
Good info here about the coast from Peru down to the Horn and up the other side... once you get past the food..... Sequitur
They survived...

Atlantic side? Havent been up to Brazil but twice up ( April and May ), twice down ( April and October) from Rio de la Plata to the south. Definately an austral summer trip if going south.
Weather quite reasonable but it had its moments on two of the trips.
Would skip BA and go to Colonia instead, take a fast ferry across from there.

If you must do the Horn go to Pto Williams first, wait there for a weather window then day sail it.....

[El Pinguino]

And also.... 99.9% of European boats arrive in Chile from the Atlantic, most west coast US boats come down from Easter Island, yachts on delivery trips out of Florida tend to come via Panama and ou west of the SE Pacific High. Only a few do the port hopping thing down through Chile.... better to do that northbound..