Cruise from Florida to Grenada

[gardnerjohnw]

Plan to leave south Florida end of Feb. 2021 via Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, BVIs by June and be ready to get to Grenada in the event of an oncoming storm.
Very limited (if any) info. Available online for private boats.
Concerned I might to planning a nightmare trip due to all the COVID rules
Would greatly appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you.
Beneteau 461

[DefinitelyMe]

Are you asking for covid advice or sailing advice?

If covid, noonsite.com is a good resource. Each country is listed and their covid immigration status, if known, is given under the 'biosecurity' tab.

If sailing, personally I'd wait until the trades shift NE or even N'ly and make straight for Grenada or somewhere else in the Southern Caribbean. Otherwise you've got a hard slog to windward on the route you describe.

[denverd0n]

Are you familiar with the term "thorny path?" If not, you need to do some research. Just looking at a map, it looks like it would be easy to island hop down to the BVI, but it is not. You are going directly into the prevailing winds and currents the entire time. Suggest you get, and read, "The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South," for further information.

That's the sailing part of it. Then there is the COVID situation. The problem there is that things are constantly changing. Every island has its own, different regulations and requirements. Some will require you to be tested before your arrival. Many will want you to quarantine for some period of time. But the rules today may be different next week. I have seen both the Bahamas and the BVI announce a date when they were going to change their restrictions, only to change their minds, change the date, and change the changes that they had announced.

So, any plans you make are going to have to be extremely fluid. It is unlikely that the restrictions in place when you depart will remain unchanged. They may get less restrictive, or they may get more so, but they will almost certainly change.

Good luck.

[Snore]

"In theory" your float plan will work. The issue will be getting east from T&C to the BVI. This could result in some long tacks, or taking on fuel and motoring to windward.

The usual route is to head west to Lon 65 and south. If you have the ability to get weather updates and routing software, you can 'stair step' with each wind shift and get east while going south. I have done that from just south of the Abacos, but not from T&C.

[singlespeed]

Covid lockdown rules for the Eastern Caribbean islands are constantly changing, due to the same factors present in the various states. Potentially, you could be denied entry, be forced to under go repeated Covid testing each time you change islands or be "stuck" on in a less than desirable anchorage or marina for an extended time in quarantine.

[Stewie12]

Donal Streets guides will give you all the information you require from the BVI to Grenada. His charts are good too. As mentioned already the Thorny Path will get to to the USVA

[jim King]

As far as Covid is concerned, your first slog to the Bahamas has an easy go of it. They will require you to get tested on landing and again five days later. They have several locations for a free (or inexensive) test. Once you make it to the end of the Exumas you will be in new territory and probably a good two to three months into your journey and it will be a bit of a slog into the easterlies.
Best to punch South toward Grenada in haste before hurricane season.

[SV_Sweet_Ruca]

Seems like the thorny path would be much thornier with covid regulations. Should probably plan for additional quarantine time and testing costs in each place. Should still be doable if you giddyup.

Covid may make jumping down ahead of a norther more appealing, although faster it’s not for the sunny day sailor.

Don’t count on BVI, still closed as far as I know to cruisers. USVI is right next door though and open for business.

As others have said, islands each have their own protocols and everything is in flux. Cruisers are sailing though and navigating the rules.

In Grenada be prepared to hang out on the hook under the Q flag and do testing. But once you are in, it’s new normal business as usual.

[LingeringFox]

Don't mean to look pessimistic but seen from here in Grenada, it looks at best problematic at the moment.
Let's go backward. To land here in Carriacou, north port of entry in Grenada, you need a negative PCR test and to register on a website, test should be less than 72 hours, registration more than 24 hours before arrival. See NowGrenada.com for pointers or changes. Call on ch 16 upon arrival, they will let you know where and how to quarantine, 4 to 5 days to get a PCR test, 4 or 5 days to get the results, delays depending upon weekends. You're in.
St Vincent and Ste Lucia if I am not mistaken are closed so best guess is the next island in line Martinique. Takes between 20 to 25 hours to sail from there so it's doable.
Problem being, can you get to Martinique from Florida. I believe today the answer is no, because of COVID regulations, maybe wrong though.
As someone wrote earlier, things are changing all the time, could be better, could be worse.
Good luck.

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by Snore

"In theory" your float plan will work. The issue will be getting east from T&C to the BVI. This could result in some long tacks, or taking on fuel and motoring to windward.

The usual route is to head east to Lon 65 and south. If you have the ability to get weather updates and routing software, you can 'stair step' with each wind shift and get east while going south. I have done that from just south of the Abacos, but not from T&C.

Typo above of course. The I65 route is generally done from much further north, say just south of Bermuda. Keep heading east until you will have a comfortable reach once you get into the trades.

With COVID and all of the uncertainty related to that, I would check the most recent regs in Grenada and wait for a decent weather forecast to get to the Mona Passage and then direct to Grenada.

[LingeringFox]

If you get to Martinique, get to Le Marin. At the office of the marina,, you could everything at once, you can organise a free PCR test (may be better to call them first), fill your clearance entry and exit, connect to the Grenada website to register. Once you have the the test results, get down here, we'll get a beer...

[SV_Sweet_Ruca]

Originally Posted by LingeringFox

If you get to Martinique, get to Le Marin. At the office of the marina,, you could everything at once, you can organise a free PCR test (may be better to call them first), fill your clearance entry and exit, connect to the Grenada website to register. Once you have the the test results, get down here, we'll get a beer...

Is Martinique open to non EU boats (US Flag)?

Funny, I’m having a beer in Carriacou myself right now, cheers! :-)

[mindsofman]

If you you really need to get there,
It can be done with a little discomfort and
Deception..

[LingeringFox]

As I wrote before, I believe the answer is no but I was wrong before..
Stag or Carib ?

[Kings Crown]

I'm a power boat guy, however, did the trip from FLL to BVI in December. No problems clearing in at Morgan's Bluff, Bahamas using online protocols. Small friendly customs. Went to Matthewtown for fuel and a night's stay to avoid clearing in at Turks. $10 to stay on dock, if there is space. Nonstop to SJU from there, no issues, however, they did visit the boat, which is somewhat unusual from my experiences. I flew back to US from here, however, the boat continued to BVI. BVI is very strict right now, and expensive. I believe $600/person for all of the COVID testing, USVI probably a better choice. Safe travels!