Advice on best route Caribbean to Florida?

[zzzixxx]

Hello all,

We are currently cruising the caribbean but looking to end our trip by putting the boat for sale in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We're familiar with cruising the island chain, but have no experience in points North of St Croix. Does anyone have any recommendations on the best route to take? We're not against extended passages, but the option of island hopping all the way up has merits.

Any advice is appreciated!

Cheers,

Brad

[Elie]

Hi Brad, I've sailed almost that route and I would do it that way: Starting from St-Thomas, first stop to Fajardo, Porto Rico: A good place for provisionning, boat equipment and repairs, fuel etc. From Fajardo straight East, for 20 miles and then NE ranging the island chain at a good distance (to avoid local traffic and the flow of cruise ships at night), but with always a port of refuge at hand in case of bad weather. Next stop: Nassau. An easy and very secure harbor in most weather. Than from Nassau To the berries Island and then on to North Rock across the Bahamas Bank and then across the Gulf Stream to Ft Lauderdale or anywher else on Florida Coast. May would be a good time to go, but you still have to watch for a late norther, or an odd tropical wave(I had an unannounced really bad one). But in fact you can stop in some Bahamas Island - Turk & Caico, San Salvador, Some Exumas. Carry Bahamas charts, and good guides to help you through the pass to safe harbors.

[imagine2frolic]

We left St. Maarten, and stopped in the BVI. Then we sailed to Culebra, and El Fajardo. From there off to the Turks & Caicos. From there all of the Bahamas are open to you, and the choice is many, and beautiful. Making Lauderdale is not hard at all from even the northern end of the Abacos. The Gulf Stream is your only advisary on this trip, and it is over in hours