Anegada Passage in May

[Lonestaralaskan]

Has anyone done the Anegada Passage in May? We are looking at possibly making the crossing leaving on May 9th and arriving early on the 10th.

We would leave from Virgin Gorda in the afternoon and head for Marigot under motor. Our 44' catamaran does not point well at all into the wind. Expecting to average 5.8-6 knots with the motors.

Besides closely watching weather conditions, are there any other dangers specifically we need to watch out for?

[Joli]

Best to pick a weather window, not a date. Look for lightish wind with mostly a north component.

The crossing from the Virgin Islands to St Martin can be rough as can St Martin to Antigua. Two weeks ago we jumped from Marigot to Jolly harbor. It was a 12 hours upwind bash. Racous

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Joli

Best to pick a weather window, not a date. Look for lightish wind with mostly a north component.

The crossing from the Virgin Islands to St Martin can be rough as can St Martin to Antigua. Two weeks ago we jumped from Marigot to Jolly harbor. It was a 12 hours upwind bash. Racous

Also note:
In Winter the wind, waves, and swell generally all go the same direction [from the NE] However, in summer that changes. The wind and wind waves generally go one direction [from SE], and the swell goes another [still from NE], producing confused seas.

[Lonestaralaskan]

We are skipping Antigua and heading south from St. Martin.

We missed our "window" hanging out in St. John and will wait for the next one. Should be in the BVIs and ready to go by then. Not looking forward to the 16 hour bash, but little choice in the matter!

[Zanshin]

I've done the BVI - St. Martin passage around 30 times. It is never nice. I used to sail it, but now I wait for an acceptable window and motorsail the whole way to reduce time on passage.

I'm in Antigua and planned on heading up to St. Martin (cheaper parts for repairs) or down to the Saintes today - but the waves and winds aren't good enough and I have time to wait.

May is a good time to cross, unlike Dec/Jan where the Christmas winds can howl for days on end.

[sailmontana]

Hello
Looking to cross when the weather is good enough
Any input would be appreciated and / or don’t go warnings after this little wetness passes…

[Zanshin]

I'm in Antigua now, with a bit different conditions. But looking at the weather for the BVI and St. Martin today and tomorrow would be as good a day as you are going to get. The wind is light and coming from the ENE and the waves are down at under a meter. Put up the sails and keep the engine running and you should be through in under 20 hours!

[sailmontana]

Thanks for that
Glad I didn’t go
Got a fuel issue that was remedied by replacing all filters and cleaning dip tube screen
Guess I better get tanks flushed
Bringing many filters with!!
Appreciate your input

[sailmontana]

Well
I made it!
Left Benner Bay St T at 1730 6/2 and arrived in Long Bay, Sint M just as sun was setting 26 hours later. This is what I learned:
I will never do this again, alone and on a failing sail drive. That said, it was incredibly exhausting and trying.
Weather window was perfect. Light winds E-SE 8-15 kt. Swell and waves were out of the S and small to average for that wind.
I motored with the main with 1st reef, traveler all the way to starboard. This gave me stability and about 1 kt. My motors are high milers and I am making the trip to replace my sail drives. I did regular impeller discharge checks and other engine checks about every 4 hours. I was burning oil on the starboard motor and needed to shut down to check and fill. This took precious time since my auto decided to fail when I left USVI and knew it burned oil but on first look it was almost dry, adding to the stress-turned out to be fine. Check your oil just before you leave!
It didn’t get tough till 35 miles out. Wind picked up to 15-20 and got sloppy. What was a major mistake due to lots of factors, mostly no local knowledge and exhaustion was to deviate course to Anguilla. The wind was causing growing seas and looking at distance I realized it would be dark by the time I’d make Simpson Bay. I saw an anchorage off Anguilla and if I sailed super tight. I could sail much faster and at a better angle to growing seas. Sailing was great. 5-6 kts and at a comfortable motion. Then I saw it. I’ll try to add the map below. There is a trough/cliff that not only pulls water down a step gradient but where there is converging currents around SMX and Anguilla. The sea turned to an absolute mess! I couldn’t sail or motor faster than 3 kts or I feared my tramps might be ripped out. I took many rogue waves up to the top of the decks and a few to the couch roof. I was spent and now in the worst of it. If I were to stay on course and beat in to the growing sea I left, I would have stayed S of this area. Instead I went N to the top and had to motor all the way S through it. It was an absolute mess of confusion with rogues from many directions.
I was brought to a dark place emotionally and feared I would be spending another night out hove to or just drifting.
Took 5 hours but made an anchorage not planned on, saw boats and gunned it to make it by sunset. The seas got better just W of SXM in 249 feet of water. Just as my depth finder decided to start reading, in the twilight I set the hook.
Make a plan and stay the course. Do your research and don’t deviate unless there is an emergency. Anchored off SXM waiting for Whit Sunday/Monday to pass so I can clear and get to marina for repairs.
Never again-
I hope this saves someone the trouble and stress I went through
Cheers and stay safe!!

[hpeer]

Is this what you are talking about?

About 2 weeks ago we left St Thomas and made a passage to St Croix, spent the night and then departed to Marigot, St Martin. Old heavy cutter motor sailed very conservatively due Wife prone to seasickness. For a good portion of the trip we were doing quite well, then the wind went more South and picked up. I wasn't on watch and by the time I saw it we were quite far North. So I tacked but just as doing that the engine overheated (2am). I was about in the area you describe, I think. Overheat was water strainer filled with saragosum.

I tacked South and could have/should have made Simpson Bay. Being stubborn I insisted on Marigot Bay which added some hours to our trip. I would have been better off going into Simpson, getting some sleep, then heading up to Marigot.

It was a long uncomfortable passage. 35 to 40 hours, something like that. It would have probably been better if I sailed more aggressively but that is always a compromise.

Long ago we had made hurricane season haul reservations Marina del Rey, PR, so now we will go BACK and give up our Easting. I think the Wife now sees this as a mistake.

Maybe, in November, we will go PR to Antigua and then make St Martin.

I watched both the US and EU weather forecasts. They were in broad agreement, generally lowest winds. But neither was particularly good in the details.

[GordMay]

Thanks, for the passage reports sailmontana, and hpeer.