colombia to brazil timing and route

[milagroman]

I am presently located in cartagena colombia and have sailed the Caribbean the last three years and am ready to explore another region. I am in the planning stage of a two year trip from colombia to ecuador going clockwise around south america. my intention is to sail most of this along the coast knowing I will be against wind and some current for most of the trip.

the first leg is from colombia to trinidad. my intention is to head to dominican republic and then drop down toward trinidad. is there a better month/season to do this leg? I have read May/june, but want to know others experiences and knowledge.

similar question for the leg from trinidad to recife, brazil. this will be mostly coastal sailing with a few stops along the route. any months/ season that is best to sail this leg?

appreciate your experience and knowledge about timing on these two legs!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by milagroman

I am presently located in cartagena colombia and have sailed the Caribbean the last three years and am ready to explore another region. I am in the planning stage of a two year trip from colombia to ecuador going clockwise around south america. my intention is to sail most of this along the coast knowing I will be against wind and some current for most of the trip.

the first leg is from colombia to trinidad. my intention is to head to dominican republic and then drop down toward trinidad. is there a better month/season to do this leg? I have read May/june, but want to know others experiences and knowledge.

similar question for the leg from trinidad to recife, brazil. this will be mostly coastal sailing with a few stops along the route. any months/ season that is best to sail this leg?

appreciate your experience and knowledge about timing on these two legs!

Hi Charlie,

I'm guessing you might already know that you are planning what may be one of the toughest routes in the north Atlantic. From Colombia until you round the corner at Recife you will be beating against strong winds and strong currents and in a boat that doesn't point like a racer.

NOTE: all comments are based on average or typical weather but this can vary a LOT in any one year.

I haven't made the leg from Trinidad to Recife but have sailed the north coast of South America and crossed the Caribbean a few times and it can be rough.

For the first leg yes late spring is the best time. The strong winter trades should be calming down and you want to do this before the odds of a hurricane increase. From there it just gets tougher. From Trinidad to Recife you have about 2000 nm dead against it. Current will be on the nose from 1.5-2 kts. Winds will be ENE-E-ESE around 15 kts. Later in the summer this usually moderates and you might expect 1-1.5 kts current and 10-12 kts of wind but all still on the nose.

Unless you motor or motor sail a lot of the way this could easily be 25-30 day passage if you tried to do it non-stop. Coast hopping 2-3 months. Also be careful coastal in northern Brazil (in fact all of Brazil), security is a great concern.

[milagroman]

thanks for the insights, skip mac. yes, aware how brutal the north coast can be...may end up just staying in the DR and then return back to panama for the hurricane season...Lol! so I'll plan a may/june departure, with a new mainsail and fresh bottom and see how far I get. once to trinidad, I intend on visiting a few of the countries before making recife. i may take a year along that leg for the next weather cycle. thanks again.