Route Advice Bahamas to USVIs

[flysci]

I will be spending December and January moseying through the Bahamas. Then I'd like to visit the virgins, mainly the Spanish and USVIs.

My understanding is I could use favorable weather to go NE from the Bahamas, then S to the VIs. Or do the "Thorny Path": Turks & Caicos to DR, across the Mona passage to PR, then on to the VIs. But I've heard the the Mona passage can be hairy, a real 'rite of passage'.

I'm pretty new to sailing and will be doing short island hopping mostly, but plan to be bring crew aboard for the longer passages.

So my question is, what is the best way to get to the VIs? Have you made that trip? What route did you take? What should I look out for? How long will it take?

I need advice and will be grateful for any you are willing to give!

Margo

[Vasco]

Once you get to Georgetown there'll be seminars on this with many experienced folks that have done it recently.

[ughmo2000]

Depends on where you are in the Bahamas. I've sailed I-65 from Marsh Harbor to Tortola. If I recall corectly it took ten days of really nice, uneventful sailing. Sailing the Thorney Path may have you waiting on weather windows and may take quite awhile.

[osirissail]

This is a duplicate thread of the one Sailing to Puerto Rico from Florida ?

The questions are answered there.

[flysci]

Osiris,

Yes and no. I though it might be considered highjacking the other thread because of my different start and end points. But I see your point that the answers seriously overlap.

I thanks you for all your good advice.

Margo