Atlantic crossing, Caribbeans destination

[hezi973]

Finally the moment is upon us and I am flying with my family to take delivery of our FP Elba 45 sailing catamaran in France. We are planning to stay in Western Europe for the summer, but come November, I need to start the journey home across the Atlantic. I am green as green can come and I am seeking advice from experiencd sailors.

Ultimately, the boat need to reach the North Eastern US for us to wrap up our land life before going full time cruising. I assume we would get to the Caribbeans sometime mid December to early January. By mid February, I need to end up in the Bahamas since my insurance policy runs out and I will look for a cheaper North American policy (which usually includes the Bahamas). By mid March, I will start the leg up the East coast.

What Caribbean Island destination (safe, beautiful, affordable, accessible, etc.) you recommend I should aim for as the Atlantic crossing destination? Any marina in particularly? How early in advance should I book a slip? I will need it for 1 to 2 months.

What Bahamas destination (safe, beautiful, affordable, accessible, etc.) is recommended from mid February? Any marina in particularly I should aim for? How early in advance should I book a slip? How long should the trip take from the first Island in the question above to this one here?

I can't stay full time on the boat and need to get back to work in between the trip's legs. I need the peace of mind my boat is safe. Please help me plan this out. There's no substitute to your personal experience and knowledge.

Thank you all in advance!

[BAIA]

Having just done the Atlantic crossing I could write a post here as long as a book. So my response for now will be some highlights:

November, December, January are the best months for crossing. The common route is going to the Canary Islands and catching the trade winds across which will take roughly 20 days on average. Some go the southern route and stop in Cape Verde some (like us) go directly across. And we did it in 21 days.

Before you even reach the Canaries there is the Iberian Orca 'issue' of the coast of Spain/Portugal, see: https://www.orcaiberica.org/en/recomendaciones
As you start in France, you will need to be aware of this.

Note that in November the ARC gathers on the Canary Islands and it will be impossible to find a slip so you need to book that in advance.

Barbados is the closest island to Europe, but we went to Saint Lucia (Rodney bay) as customs and immigrations are quick and easy out there (if your papers/visas are in order). And you can do a lot of the administrative stuff online before you even leave. (https://www.sailclear.com/country-rule-details/1)

Also this approach is quite easy and sheltered. We arrived in 20+ knot wind, rain and in the dark and managed fine. Good pilotage planning is key obviously.
This marina is secured & gated 24/7. So leaving a boat there should not be an issue. Which is not the case on many other Caribbean islands.

Flights to US are frequent and easy. Operated by American Airlines.
The downside is the 1.5 hour taxi ride from Rodney Bay to the airport.

If you do the crossing right it's just setting sails, babysit the autopilot and watch for squalls. We had a crew of 4 which made the watch schedule pretty relaxing. If you are unexperienced get some experienced people to come along.

I'm a RYA YachtMaster Offshore with commercial endorsement and do professional deliveries and charters. So my experience (and planning) is different than a couple who does the crossing for fun. I'm based in Europe so you can also ask me anything about any sailing out here.