Key west to St Thomas V I Passage

[fourgeau]

I am looking at sailing If possible non stop from South Florida to St Thomas early April. Any route recommandation?

[seacap]

can you give us some specs on the boat?
Does she have a large engine and lots of fuel? Is she a good sailor? Navigation abilities, yours and the boat? shoal draft? etc.

[btrayfors]

This topic has come up again and again. Asked and answered, many times.

Here's one excellent discussion of the options:

Indigo Moon - Offshore Passage to BVI

Bottom line: Florida to the Virgin Islands ain't no picnic. Be sure you, your boat, and your crew are prepared.

Bill

[skipmac]

1200 miles tacking or close hauled any route plus current against you. Three options:

1. Old Bahamas Channel then along the N coast of Hispaniola and PR.

2. Cut throught Bahamas (Bimini - banks to Chub - NE Providence Channel) out into Atlantic. Make easting until you can make a tack to the VI.

3. Island hop all the way through the Bahamas, T&C Islands, then direct to VI.

Non stop all of them will be a hell of a sail. Only time I made this trip I did the island hop and took two months to do it.

[osirissail]

The direct route is nicknamed "I-66" and you need to head north to the Bahamas or north of the Bahamas to ride the NW to SW winds until you get to 066 west Longitude and then hang a right and head south to USVI or the east coast of Puerto Rico. You can cross through the Bahamas to New Providence (Nassau) but then need to exit NE between Abaco and Eleuthera then head ENE to stay in the SW to NW winds until 66 west. Normally this route is about one to two weeks to get to the Virgins and you will probably get at least one good storm enroute.
The slower but less exposed route is to head from the Key West across to the southern Bahamas Banks underneath Exumas and then the Comer Channel to Long Island. The north up around Long Island and east -south - east down the islands to Mayaguna to Turks and Caicos to Luperon or track the north coast of the D.R. to Samana or straight to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Then along the south coast of Puerto Rico to the Virgins. This route is normally two to three months but with extraordinary luck you can make it in one month, but you would have to be on very good terms with Mother Nature.

[Hud3]

Forgeau,

Use the Google search feature in the "Search" drop-down menu up top and enter "Thorny Path".

[s/v Moondancer]

I am doing the same trip in April but starting in Miami. We have time and plan to island hop using the advice in the book 'The Thornless Passage'

I did it the hard way, 1000 miles to weather going off-shore, delivering a Farr 40 and we had a very hard but exciting 8 days.

I had considered the Old Bahama Passage but last year an English boat ran aground on the Cuban shore and was stripped by the local police chief so while I personally had no problems in Cuba when I visited I now plan to stay well away from the non-tourist areas.

Phil

[Patient]

Great read about the trip here~