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12-06-2013, 20:06
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: CT 54... for our sins!
Posts: 2,083
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St Martin to Panama in One Piece
We're sitting in St Martin waiting for a weather window to sail to Panama.
Early next week there are going to be potential gale force winds off Columbia, so we wait.
Or we could sail to the ABCs and try to work our way along the coast, but at the moment the outlook is for high winds down there too.
Just about everyone we bump into has their horror story of passing Columbia when sailing to Panama.
What has been the experience of others here?
Vic
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12-06-2013, 20:17
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere in the Caribbean
Boat: Beneteau First 38
Posts: 313
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
If it was me... I'd go straight to Panama from St Martin...
just me
__________________
As I sit, a swirling sea of passion gives it's poems in waves underneath me.
The whispers of the sun in my eyes, a silence within.
Rhythm of the surf, drums of the sea. Thoughts tumble and toss about the deep blue abyss inside me, where the love of you dwells.
I'm fighting currents to get back to you, listening to the flow of your liquid language as you beckon me, "Come Play"
Mariners Cove, CI. Anonymous.
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12-06-2013, 22:02
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#3
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 103
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
We sailed down to Dominica then turned for panama late in the season, passed close enough to south america if needed to change course but did not, picked the weather and had very light winds all the way for 5 days.
The feared choppy seas was not to be seen
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12-06-2013, 22:18
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,687
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
20 years ago, I did Antigua to Panama. direct in late May or early June. Almost all DDW with medium to heavy winds. Did the middle 5 days with the main double reefed and prevented, and the #3 poled out. Made great daily runs, but I would have hated to turn around for a MOB or any other reason. The Aries steered the whole way.___If you have a reliable windvane or enough crew for downwind sailing, then it will just be a windy trip.___Just my opinion.____Grant.
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13-06-2013, 05:11
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: CT 54... for our sins!
Posts: 2,083
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
Thanks for the input.
It's our inclination to go direct too, and listening to Chris Parker it looks like there may be a weather window for a departure a week from now.
Vic
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13-06-2013, 05:16
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Underway in the Med -
Boat: Jeanneau 40 DS SoulMates
Posts: 2,274
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
we went the other way - panama to jamaica and as you waited on a wx window and talked to chris -- we had a great sail - 48 deg on the wind for 5 days with winds not over 15k - so you would be doing a down hill sail and wow sure would be better than our close haul --
good luck and wait and enjoy the san blas - they are incredible
just our thougts and opinion
chuck patty and svsoulmates
in angra azores
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13-06-2013, 05:52
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Toronto area when not travelling
Boat: Nonsuch 30
Posts: 1,672
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
We went from the Bahamas through the Windward Passage directly to Panama and never had winds over 20 knots. The strong winds off the coast of Colombia seem to be a very common occurrence but they do seem to be localized so if you stay north a bit you miss them. I would go direct. If you go the ABCs and then west you will get much stronger winds.
__________________
Have taken on the restoration of the first Nonsuch, which was launched in 1978. Needs some deck work, hull compounding, and a bit of new gear.
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13-06-2013, 06:28
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,437
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
Quote:
Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond
We're sitting in St Martin waiting for a weather window to sail to Panama.
Early next week there are going to be potential gale force winds off Columbia, so we wait.
Or we could sail to the ABCs and try to work our way along the coast, but at the moment the outlook is for high winds down there too.
Just about everyone we bump into has their horror story of passing Columbia when sailing to Panama.
What has been the experience of others here?
Vic
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Well, you must balance possibly strong but regular conditions off Columbia's tip with the risk of getting a possibly pretty unpredictable TD/TS/TC at where you are sitting.
I have looked up NWS radiofax files and yes with this configuration you are likely to get strong Columbian trades ;-). Gribs forecast 25 to 30 knots in the 48+ horizon, for a time. Meanwhile there are no signs of another TD forming in the tropical Atlantic, so you may have your reasons to be sitting out.
We sailed the waters (ABC to Panama) and the boat ahead was a sturdy Tradewinds. They got scared and turned round. We sailed our much smaller (26') thing and got to Panama without any issues. The wind piped up and we just adjusted our sailing mode to heavy going and that's that. Strong weather for a time but nothing dangerous for a well prepared, well sailed boat.
The weather is caused by a stationary rather than traveling system and the current is with you so the seas tend to build tall, but not irregular.
Cheers,
b.
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13-06-2013, 07:00
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: CT 54... for our sins!
Posts: 2,083
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
All good input, thanks
Right at the moment we appear to be in the best place to grab that weather window when it comes, and there are no immediately obvious threats in the Leewards.
My immediate concern is rising temperatures... in the refrigerator!
Just another day on a boat I guess...
Vic
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13-06-2013, 07:18
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#11
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 30,654
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
Quote:
Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond
All good input, thanks
Right at the moment we appear to be in the best place to grab that weather window when it comes, and there are no immediately obvious threats in the Leewards.
My immediate concern is rising temperatures... in the refrigerator!
Just another day on a boat I guess...
Vic
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Take turns in there... 2 overloads them..
__________________
You can't beat a people up (for 75yrs+) and have them say..
"I Love You.. ". Murray Roman.
Yet the 'useful idiot' of the West still pays for the beat of the Apartheid Drum.
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13-06-2013, 07:33
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#12
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
Quote:
Originally Posted by boatman61
Take turns in there... 2 overloads them..
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But it's much more fun with two.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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13-06-2013, 07:51
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#13
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 30,654
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
Quote:
Originally Posted by skipmac
But it's much more fun with two.
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Cause and effect.... Fun = ^^ temp^era^ture ^^
__________________
You can't beat a people up (for 75yrs+) and have them say..
"I Love You.. ". Murray Roman.
Yet the 'useful idiot' of the West still pays for the beat of the Apartheid Drum.
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13-06-2013, 08:49
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#14
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
Quote:
Originally Posted by boatman61
Cause and effect.... Fun = ^^ temp^era^ture ^^
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Hence the refrigerator.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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13-06-2013, 10:00
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: CT 54... for our sins!
Posts: 2,083
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Re: St Martin to Panama in One Piece
You guys are hopeless!!!!
But the little man in the fridge... puts the lighty on...
Must have something because Sandy keeps going back there...
but with it so cold...
Bastard... that's why he's raising the temp!!!
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