Turks to DR to PR

[johnnyj]

Hello everyone, I am about to sail from Turks and Caicos to Fajardo in about 2 weeks.
I've done some research about different routes and I think the one I'm most comfortable with is heading South to Ocean World DR, to Semana and across the Mona Passage
I'm interested in just getting to Fajardo, not needing to do any adventuring along the way

The question I'm having a tough time finding info on is this:

should I take the Northern side of PR to get to Fajardo or the Southern side?

and if going northern route vs southern route what would be the best place to check in?

Thanks for taking the time and for the help!

[Cheechako]

I'd check in at Mayguez/Boqueron on the first end of PR you come to after the Mona. (make sure it's still available there!) Then take the south side of the PR as the north side can be a bit rough.
The end of the Mona near PR often has big thunder cells at night over the PR or the water. Often dispersing by early AM before light. So if you time it so you arrive in the AM it helps avoid that. The check in will be available that way also.

[hpeer]

The Gentlemans guide highly recommends the south side. We made that trip and had a decent Mona crossing. The south side was atypically calm. We stayed in Salinas for a while. While there the North side was getting hammered with big rollers, broke up docks inside San Juan harbor. We had nothing.

Het The Gentlemans Guide to trips South.

[johnnyj]

Thanks for the input folks! With this info I think I’m going to head to the Southern side of PR. I’ll prob keep an eye on the gribs and if the outlook of the weather looks calm on the journey, I’ll keep a heading towards San Juan.
Plan on the South tho

[mdsailors]

Hello all, We are docked in Provo , heading to PR this morning, wondered if anyone had knowledge of crossing the Caicos Bank from Provo heading East....We are a 50 ft St Francis cat w 4.5 ft draft, thanks
Steve
__________________
Steven & Bonnie Carroll
SV Paradigm Shift

[johnnyj]

I've done it, and it wasn't too bad as long as you check conditions on predict wind or something and make sure you aren't getting yourself into huge swell and wind

My route I rode the wind as long as I could heading SSE from South Caicos (I avoided the Silver Banks. You can try going across them, but I've heard don't do it because of the upwellings and sudden shallows)
Then flipped on the motor and did the best I could to motorsail the entire way to Cap Cana which is on the Eastern side of the DR.
Here I fueled up and motored across the Mona Passage to Boqueron.
Look up "hourglass shoal" in the Mona Passage. Definitely Definitely avoid this shoal. The upwellings and currents are so strong they will push you up into the Atlantic. Maybe sail South along the eastern shore of the DR til you are clear of it and then punch it across the Mona to Boqueron

You want to do this entire route with as little wind and swell as possible.
It's a lot of motoring, is what it is

You can try to time it so you can motor along the DR at night, this gives the best conditions because the cooling of the land at night calms the seas.
Keep your distance off the DR so you don't foul crab traps. Your depth finder at 400 should be good enough distance
Do this same thing when you are making your way East along the Southern part of PR.
You will be moving thru the nights pretty much til you make it to Vieques