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28-01-2018, 05:10
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,480
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by boatman61
That's sailing.. and why my deliveries are very rarely less than 1000nm except as a favour, or a boat I've bought in the UK.. I enjoy it.
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[emoji106]
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28-01-2018, 05:11
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Today here, tomorrow over there
Boat: Malö 40H
Posts: 345
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by boatman61
Panama to Jamaica to Aruba to Santo Domingo/Puerto Rice.. then island hop.. but then I'm a masochist..
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You know, I'll confess I want to give this a shot.. but when one keeps hearing things like "The undisputed difficulty of this route must be seriously considered before including it in your Caribbean cruising plans from Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes, well.. I still *do* have that healthy inner voice that pulls me back when everyone else is saying "don't do it"
Funny enough, some of the most memorable sailing I have ever done, when I truly had *fun* was going hard upwind in 20kts in the med. Granted, one thing is to do that for 6 hours and another one for 6 days.. and I guess the waves can't really compare with the Caribbean...
But yeah.. I am having trouble going for something like this when everyone is yelling "you are doing it wrong, you dummy!!!"
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28-01-2018, 05:28
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,480
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by crankysailor
You know, I'll confess I want to give this a shot.. but when one keeps hearing things like "The undisputed difficulty of this route must be seriously considered before including it in your Caribbean cruising plans from Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes, well.. I still *do* have that healthy inner voice that pulls me back when everyone else is saying "don't do it" [emoji3]
Funny enough, some of the most memorable sailing I have ever done, when I truly had *fun* was going hard upwind in 20kts in the med. Granted, one thing is to do that for 6 hours and another one for 6 days.. and I guess the waves can't really compare with the Caribbean...
But yeah.. I am having trouble going for something like this when everyone is yelling "you are doing it wrong, you dummy!!!"
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Boatie's route, while definately the long way, is less of the wrong way than just gritting your teeth and bashing it out to windward. Those long tacks have the benefit of easier sailing angles.
And, if you have ample time during winter months, you could always wait for frontal shifts.
How was it boatie?
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28-01-2018, 05:37
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 5,983
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
But that leaves a bigger question...having sailed the Eastern side as you want to do and now in the Western Caribbean we really don't have a desire to go back East. There are just so many neat spots in the Western Caribbean plus..real culture, great food and very affordable/fresh fruits and vegetables plus some outstanding diving. So where are you going to find that in the Eastern Caribbean???
Belizesailor gave you good advice, if you want to go East, go north first and then east, its done all the time.
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28-01-2018, 05:44
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#21
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 56
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by crankysailor
Well, I guess sailing in the Bahamas would be fun.. but the problem is timing isn't it. If you get up there in mid/late April how much time you have left to play around before you have to either go north or head back south before hurricane season? also, heading back south from the Bahamas is no walk in the park either.. what is it they call it? "the thorny path?" as I understand it the "smart route" is to head way out east first to I-65 before you head south.. definitely not something to be doing in June... and talk about a detour :-) .. I might as well keep going west and come back to the windwards by way of St. Helena
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Some of the best time in the Bahamas is April to August. Hurricane season does not peak until early August to September, and you typically have plenty of warning in the Bahamas. You can head east from there above the trades and then drop down. If you are trying to do this in the summer, you have the best chances of calm conditions as well.
There are risks to every path but getting insurance for the Bahamas or Florida for the summer is not that hard, it just may cost a little more...
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28-01-2018, 06:16
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#22
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 30,586
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by robert sailor
But that leaves a bigger question...having sailed the Eastern side as you want to do and now in the Western Caribbean we really don't have a desire to go back East. There are just so many neat spots in the Western Caribbean plus..real culture, great food and very affordable/fresh fruits and vegetables plus some outstanding diving. So where are you going to find that in the Eastern Caribbean???
Belizesailor gave you good advice, if you want to go East, go north first and then east, its done all the time.
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Ahh.. but can it be done that way to Grenada in 4 weeks including 2-3 day rests after each hop.. less if you only need a 24hr layover..
Sorry.. got my Delivery hat on..
__________________
It was a dark and stormy night and the captain of the ship said.. "Hey Jim, spin us a yarn." and the yarn began like this.. "It was a dark and stormy night.."
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28-01-2018, 07:39
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#23
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Santa Cruz
Boat: SAnta Cruz 27
Posts: 6,711
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
I would agree with Paul, run up to Florida in April, cruise the US east coast up to Maine for mid summer, then down to Norfolk and off to the BVI in November. Cruising the US east coast is quite enjoyable, and you can pick your climate by running north or south.
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29-01-2018, 15:43
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#24
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Today here, tomorrow over there
Boat: Malö 40H
Posts: 345
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by donradcliffe
I would agree with Paul, run up to Florida in April, cruise the US east coast up to Maine for mid summer, then down to Norfolk and off to the BVI in November. Cruising the US east coast is quite enjoyable, and you can pick your climate by running north or south.
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This idea is resonating more and more .. particularly with the wife, and that is a good thing
So to make sure I understand, I guess you are implying one would have to stay above Virginia from June until November to stay clear of hurricanes? I think they can hit as high as North Carolina??
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29-01-2018, 23:00
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#25
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Santa Cruz
Boat: SAnta Cruz 27
Posts: 6,711
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
If you are insured, your insurance company may prescribe cruising areas for hurricane season, based on historical damage data. This will give you some idea of the risks by month, and maybe someone who lives on the East Coast can expand on this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_hurricane#June
In addition to hurricane seasons, it gets hot and humid in the Chesapeake and further south from mid June to mid September, which is the sailing season for New England.
In 5 seasons of cruising the East Coast US, I ended up hiding in hurricane holes twice, and both times it was a non-event.
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30-01-2018, 00:29
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#26
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Bellingham
Boat: Outbound 44
Posts: 9,319
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by crankysailor
This idea is resonating more and more .. particularly with the wife, and that is a good thing
So to make sure I understand, I guess you are implying one would have to stay above Virginia from June until November to stay clear of hurricanes? I think they can hit as high as North Carolina??
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Hurricanes can reach as far as Nova Scotia. Most insurance companies require that you be above the Fla Georgia border. You must watch the weather and be prepared to head somewhere for a storm or haul. In general, there are lots of choices.
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30-01-2018, 07:27
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#27
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 5,983
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Short answer no! That aside I met with several yachts that were sailing(motoring) from Colombia to Grenada and did it with some consistency but you have to be very patient. One fellow we met in an outer Venezuelan island who had been waiting for a couple of weeks for a break and fortunately for him a few days later he was able to head out so yes I agree with you, it can be done and is done on a regular basis but usually under lots of motoring, nothing wrong with that.
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30-01-2018, 08:59
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#29
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 5,983
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by boatman61
Robert.. seems he's doing it with the Missus.. so my long tacks way is definitely a No No..
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That's funny. These days it's me not wanting a long slog to windward, my wife just puts up with whatever we do and can sleep standing up. Years ago I didn't mind it but these days I'm liking it less. When we crossed the pond a couple of years ago we had more windward sailing than I expected and it wasn't a problem, probably because I didn't have a choice. Given a choice I avoid the multi day sails to windward unless the wind is below 15 knots.
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