Florida to Virgin Islans in Fall

[btrayfors]

sailsatori,

Guess I hadn't realized that you were planning the trip on a 23' boat with an 8hp outboard.

I'm not sayin' the trip isn't do-able, but you must realize that it's quite an undertaking. Going that far, as fast as you're planning (1 month Annapolis to the Bahamas) will require a good measure of luck, lots of perserverence, and not just a little cash -- outboard or not. You've still gotta eat, buy gas, effect repairs (replacement parts, etc.), and so forth. If the weather cooperates, that part of the trip could be fun.

The part from West End to the Virgins is unlikely to be fun. It would be much more like an endurance test, if not a stunt. Until you have faced adverse winds, waves, and currents spawned by the tradewinds -- which are no gentle breezes -- you can't know how difficult it is to make headway, even in a full-powered much larger vessel.

So, to do it at all, you'd really need to plan very carefully, carry plenty of provisions, and take whatever time was required to await favorable weather windows to make a dash to your next stopping place.

With a 19.5' waterline your hull speed is on the order of 5.8 knots. That's under favorable conditions, and the 8HP may or may not hold you at 5.5 knots or better. Effectively, then, you're not going to make much more than 50-60 miles a day under power in daylight, even motorsailing.

I think that by the time you have done the ICW and reached southern Florida you'll have a much better idea about your boat and your own capabilities. At that point you might want to re-assess your plans. Maybe even consider putting your little ship aboard a bigger ship for the trip to the Virgins. There are some vessels out of Miami/Ft Lauderdale which ferry supplies to the Eastern Caribbean (food, tools, equipment, etc.) and sometimes they carry things on deck for not too much money. Might be worth investigating.

Bill

[Mick]

Sailsatori,

Just a quick note. While your boat is only 23' on deck, some of the posters may not realize the Cay is a heavy displacement cruiser. It weighs almost 2000 pounds more than a Person 26. I am not to big on the outboard but the boat if properly rigged and fitted can go anywhere and is relatively fast and has a hull that is 5/8" thick at the keel and is all hand laid.

This may not change any opinion but is worth consideration.

Mick
(Moved up from a Cay)

[Southern Star]

Not only is it thread drift, I fail to understand how anyone can immediately conclude that a 23 foot sailboat is unseaworthy and incapable of making such a passage. What about the 20 foot Pacific Seacraft Flicka? Or the 24 foot Dana? A number actually circumnavigated safely. And as to the outboard motor, again a number of people have circumnavigated with no auxilliary power at all.

Brad

[Vasco]

It's a reflection of the times that most folks think you have to have a 40+ foot, bullet proof boat to go voyaging. All you have to do is look back a bit when single-handed sailors regularly crossed the Atlantic in under 30 foot boats. The Hiscocks started cruising in a 21 footer going from England to the Azores (and back). So it can be done if you're young and adventurous. What skews the numbers these days is that most cruisers are older, retired folks who like their comfort and have the money to cruise in relative comfort.

Janice,

To get back to your original post. Just take off in December or early January and head towards Georgetown. You will meet many, many boats going to the Caribbean via the "thorny path". They hook up in Georgetown, have seminars on how it's done, trade charts, etc., wait for weather and set off in groups. It will be quite easy to find a buddy boat. Good luck on your voyage.

[funsailthekeys]

My first boat was a 23' International with a 10 HP Honda. I went south and it was a blast. I left in late April so the winds were light and seas flat. At Puerto Rico I went south to Granada, took a few days but no big whoop.

[Janice]

It certainly has drifted but that is ok. Recently I have become a victim of yet another corporate downsizing. We may now leave late spring instead of late fall. We have not decided if we will head north (Chesepeak, Great Lakes?) or south (San Blas?) for the ummer before hearing to the Leewards.

[sailsatori]

well that sure opened a can...

Thanks for the constructive criticism and most of all for the positive encouragement.

I'm 28 and don't have a trust fund. I'm no expert but I've got offshore and coastal experience with my own boats. I'm going "boldly" with what I've got, which is a solid, seaworthy little ship. I picked her out of the lineup because she compares with dana's and flicka's yet is affordable. I've spent thousands of $'s and hours restoring everything. Thanks for the Glander prop Mick! I like to sail more than motor. I know what a cavitating outboard engine sounds like. I realize I'm in leagues with the smallest boats out there, but that does not qualify this voyage as a "stunt." I entered this thread to generate discussion about how long it takes to get to virgin islands, not to ignite a big boat/small boat debate and to hear "be sure my life insurance policy is paid up." Give me a break! Sailing is all about being prudent, spontaneous, and flexible. The USVI's are a goal. If it proves too difficult I'll turn around and sail downwind right back where I came from, with my pride and boat intact.

[nmwarren]

Here is a blog of a guy who single-handed a Pearson 28 from Florida to the VIs (acutally started in Wilmington I think), through the typical Thorny Path passages:
SENECA
SEEJOESAIL

Pretty good blog for what you are trying to do. He crossed to the Bahamas in early January and made it to Puerto Rico in April, then returned to the US to work through the summer and returned to the boat in November to make the last jump to the VIs.

[imagine2frolic]

Originally Posted by sailsatori

well that sure opened a can...

Thanks for the constructive criticism and most of all for the positive encouragement.

I'm 28 and don't have a trust fund. I'm no expert but I've got offshore and coastal experience with my own boats. I'm going "boldly" with what I've got, which is a solid, seaworthy little ship. I picked her out of the lineup because she compares with dana's and flicka's yet is affordable. I've spent thousands of $'s and hours restoring everything. Thanks for the Glander prop Mick! I like to sail more than motor. I know what a cavitating outboard engine sounds like. I realize I'm in leagues with the smallest boats out there, but that does not qualify this voyage as a "stunt." I entered this thread to generate discussion about how long it takes to get to virgin islands, not to ignite a big boat/small boat debate and to hear "be sure my life insurance policy is paid up." Give me a break! Sailing is all about being prudent, spontaneous, and flexible. The USVI's are a goal. If it proves too difficult I'll turn around and sail downwind right back where I came from, with my pride and boat intact.

That's the spirit!!!!!! If you have a good boat a prudent sailor can take her anywhere........BEST WISHES, and enjoy your trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sailorguy]

Hello all...my family and I did this trip in 2000 and had a terrific time. Many boats of all sizes and types do this trip safely every year. George Town Bahamas is an excellent place to hook up w/ others heading south; great part about cruising is that you will make many new friends along the way...a wonderful experience! I would rec'd picking up copies of Bruce Van Sants Passages South and Steve Pavlidas's cruising guide's.

Have a safe and Fun trip, wish I were going!!

Steve

[Joebar]

Just wondering if this post was still going. If so, I am the Joe from SENECA (SEEJOESAIL) referred to a couple of posts ago. I will be happy to discuss the realistic time frames and the Thorny Path if SAILSATORI is still listening.

[Hud3]

Hi, Joe, and welcome to the Forum. Great to have you here!

Quite a few of our newer members are interested in getting into cruising, but have little sailing experience. You state on your blog that you didn't know anything about sailing to begin with, but were bitten by the "bug", bought a boat, learned to sail it, and made your way along the "Thorny Path" to the Virgin Islands. Your experiences will be of great interest, I'm sure.

p.s. nice blog, by the way.

[Southern Star]

Welcome Joebar - and I have to agree with Hud, nice little blog. Looking forward to your imput.

And hopefully Salsatori wasn't put off this site totally by the rather ruthless criticism he received about his plans and his chances of success. I am with him totally, and as I suggested in an earlier post, there are a lot of people who have made even more ambitious passages in boats no larger than his own.

Brad

Brad

[Joebar]

Thank You guys,
When getting ready to cruise, this site was a regular stop for all of my questions. It is a great feeling to cross over the threshold of the discussion where I now feel I can help people with the answers to the questions I once had.
Briefly, my story is that four years ago I took a one week live aboard sailing course through water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School in Ft Lauderdale. I grew up around the water but had not boated much and never really sailed. They run a great course and I really came out pretty confident (certainly too confident). I have always loved to travel, especially in the tropics, and realized sailing was the way to do it. In august of that year I bought my 1977 28' Pearson in Annapolis. I got out four times that year only getting towed twice and calling the Coast Guard for help once. The Chesapeake is a great training ground for cruising. The next summer I was able to get out another ten times or so for weekend trips with my friends and on November 11th of that year I moved aboard with my dog and left the dock to head south. Going out into the Bay that day was the first time I single-handed.
I realize I am starting to ramble, I am not being brief and we are far from where this thread started. I will continue this soon. Should I start a new thread?
I have not been cruising long, but I do feel that I have a somewhat unique take on cruising in that I am doing it with very little money, experience, single-handed, and with a dog.
Got to run now. I will continue soon.
JOE

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Joebar

Thank You guys,
When getting ready to cruise, this site was a regular stop for all of my questions. It is a great feeling to cross over the threshold of the discussion where I now feel I can help people with the answers to the questions I once had.

JOE

Care to read this one (and the blog) and comment?


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ice-20095.html

it and the blog are a lot to read.