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Old 27-01-2018, 12:34   #1
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Caribbean the wrong way..

So... in my never ending saga looking for our next boat, now a possibility has popped up but the boat is lying in Panama.. hmm.. if I was to buy a boat in the Caribbean, we'd rather start of course with the windward islands and work our way down to Panama like a gentleman, the right way ..

But, it *might* be a good option (still we'll see how I feel about that once I visit the boat) and if it turns out to be a good buy for us, we'd be faced with the question on how to reach the eastern Caribbean from Panama..

Sure one could cruise the San Blas a bit .. hop off to Cartagena etc, etc. Keep us busy for a season or so. But then one would want to sail elsewhere in the Caribbean and that means a battle uphill to reach almost anywhere else particularly on the east side of things.

I have done my homework but to be honest, I only see bad options and worse options.

1. Wait for mid-April or so and hope for a bit of south in the wind to escape and make a run for Hispaniola .. still that would be 700 miles upwind.. and *then* you have to get out of there ASAP to reach somewhere like Grenada before hurricane season.. another 700 miles to go and hope that the NE trades reappear just in time. With my luck it probably would work the other way around.. NE on the first leg and SE on the second one :-)

2. Wait for late November and risk getting hit by a late season blow.. it changes nothing on the sailing uphill department.

3. Work the coastal route and risk Venezuelan pirates putting an end to our budding cruiser careers.. Upwind like any other option but at least working a favorable coastal current and being able to break the trip into shorter legs. Still.. not being able to call in Venezuela kinda erases this last advantage I think.

4. Going the direct route like Captain Ron would do it and just tack back and forth 1000 miles like a boss... (has anyone ever done that actually?)

5. The middle of the road.. work my way as far as possible on a SE window, when it switches back to E-NE, head down and see if one lands in Curaçao for example.. from there a further leg to the Windwards wouldn't be too bad I suppose. This is the most "sensible" option to reach the eastern Caribbean I suppose?

So yeah.. talk about choosing between a rock and a hard place. In fact, this has got me thinking.. how did Columbus pull this off? .. with square sails and without grib files? .. kinda makes you wonder...
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Old 27-01-2018, 13:03   #2
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

Couldn't you sail north towards the keys, up to Bermuda and then down to the Virgin islands? There are some great shots and you could hit the Bahamas on your way through. You could also head down from the Bahamas and wait for easy legs to make the upwind passages.
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Old 27-01-2018, 13:34   #3
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

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Couldn't you sail north towards the keys, up to Bermuda and then down to the Virgin islands? There are some great shots and you could hit the Bahamas on your way through. You could also head down from the Bahamas and wait for easy legs to make the upwind passages.
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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Old 27-01-2018, 14:01   #4
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

You've missed at least one option: many boats work their way N thru the W Carib and ultimately up to Isla Mujeres. Wait for a cold front shift there and then head for Florida.

E Panama (like San Blas) or Colombia to Providencia is not an uphill battle. If you can catch a cold front out of Providencia then you can also make the Caymans or Jamaica more off the wind.
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Old 27-01-2018, 17:17   #5
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

Belizesailor has it right...I have done what he suggests Panama to Grand Cayman to Isla Mujeres to Key West to Miami and then 700 nm dues east to 65W and then south to the Caribbean.

Except for 2 days I could have done it on a Hobie Cat. It really is the easiest way back to the Caribbean.
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Old 27-01-2018, 18:32   #6
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

Some have taken the Captain Ron approach. Maybe not gentlemanly but certainly manly...

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Old 27-01-2018, 19:10   #7
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

I'll go with Belize approach with a wrinkle. Wait till the trades lay down in late April to early May. Take a tack from Shelter Bay to the San Blas. Then up to the Caymans, around Cuba to Key West (we went direct). Head up the east coast to get out of the hurricane zone. Fix up the boat while you have access to low cost toys. Late fall leave from the Chesapeake and sail to the BVIs.
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Old 28-01-2018, 01:42   #8
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

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Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
You've missed at least one option: many boats work their way N thru the W Carib and ultimately up to Isla Mujeres. Wait for a cold front shift there and then head for Florida.

E Panama (like San Blas) or Colombia to Providencia is not an uphill battle. If you can catch a cold front out of Providencia then you can also make the Caymans or Jamaica more off the wind.
interesting.. thanks!!.. I would not have thought of losing what little easting one has starting in Panama vs starting in Providencia or Mujeres etc.. definitely worth considering. Good stuff!!
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Old 28-01-2018, 02:00   #9
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

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Belizesailor has it right...I have done what he suggests Panama to Grand Cayman to Isla Mujeres to Key West to Miami and then 700 nm dues east to 65W and then south to the Caribbean.

Except for 2 days I could have done it on a Hobie Cat. It really is the easiest way back to the Caribbean.
Thanks!.. so what time of the year did you do it?
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Old 28-01-2018, 03:45   #10
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

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Thanks!.. so what time of the year did you do it?
As suggest by Paul L above, the best time to make the run out of E Panama is when the seasonal trades start to lay down a little in April-May. They are seasonal in Panama from about Dec-Jan thru April-May.

Another advantage to this timing is that the trades start to become more likely to be blowing from slightly SE. This is more pronounced in the NW Carib than SW Carib. So, once you get N of Providencia you have increasing odds of picking up a SE shift.

To catch a cold front to get E from Isla Mujeres you need to be there during winter months.
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Old 28-01-2018, 03:58   #11
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

And, whats the big rush to get East anyway...the W Carib is an awesome cruising ground.
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Old 28-01-2018, 04:07   #12
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pirate Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

Panama to Jamaica to Aruba to Santo Domingo/Puerto Rice.. then island hop.. but then I'm a masochist..
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Old 28-01-2018, 04:09   #13
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

As always the timing was driven by hurricane season. We left Aruba in November and arrived in the Caribbean in May having explored the Western Caribbean especially Mexico.
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Old 28-01-2018, 04:49   #14
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Re: Caribbean the wrong way..

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Panama to Jamaica to Aruba to Santo Domingo/Puerto Rice.. then island hop.. but then I'm a masochist.. [emoji3]
Geez, talk about the road less travelled...those are some serious tacks! [emoji6]
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Old 28-01-2018, 05:00   #15
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Geez, talk about the road less travelled...those are some serious tacks! [emoji6]
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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