Caribbeans destination. First time Atlantic crossing

[hezi973]

Finally the moment is upon us and I am flying with my family to take delivery of our FP Elba 45 sailing catamaran in France. We are planning to stay in Western Europe for the summer, but come November, I need to start the journey home across the Atlantic. I am green as green can come and I am seeking advice from experiencd sailors.

Ultimately, the boat need to reach the North Eastern US for us to wrap up our land life before going full time cruising. I assume we would get to the Caribbeans sometime mid December to early January. By mid February, I need to end up in the Bahamas since my insurance policy runs out and I will look for a cheaper North American policy (which usually includes the Bahamas). By mid March, I will start the leg up the East coast.

What Caribbean Island destination (safe, beautiful, affordable, accessible, etc.) you recommend I should aim for as the Atlantic crossing destination? Any marina in particularly? How early in advance should I book a slip? I will need it for 1 to 2 months.

What Bahamas destination (safe, beautiful, affordable, accessible, etc.) is recommended from mid February? Any marina in particularly I should aim for? How early in advance should I book a slip? How long should the trip take from the first Island in the question above to this one here?

I can't stay full time on the boat and need to get back to work in between the trip's legs. I need the peace of mind my boat is safe. Please help me plan this out. There's no substitute to your personal experience and knowledge. Please point out if there's a better place on this forum to post this. Thank you all in advance!

[Jeannius]

I sailed my brand new 44ft ft cat from France to St Lucia many years ago. At the time you are leaving, you'll be competing for space in the Canary Islands with the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers which leaves Gran Canaria towards the end of November. The boats, 200+, completely take over Las Palmas marina from late October through to departure. From Gran Canaria it'll take you 16 -21 days to reach the Caribbean (took us 17 without trying hard) so you can hold off leaving there until the ARC has left and still make it to the Caribbean for Christmas if you want, providing of course, the weather doesn't hold up departure.

If you weren't in a rush, I'd say head for Grenada. Since you want to be in the Bahamas by mid February, I'd aim much further north and make landfall in St Martin/Sint Maarten as there are good facilities, tax free import of parts and plenty of marina space. When I was in the area there was no need to book marina space in advance but things may have changed now so I'll leave it to others to comment on that.

Can't help with the run up to the Bahamas as my only trip north of the Caribbean was straight to Bermuda and then onto Maine.

Good luck. Very envious.

[Kinkircating]

Having just sailed up the entire chain of islands, I’d choose Antigua first then Martinique second if it were up to me.

[Kettlewell]

If I were leaving my boat in the Bahamas for a few months I would check out the Abacos, and specifically Man O'War. But, I would also recommend you seriously consider moving on to the United States for much easier and cheaper transportation options to wherever you need to get to, and a much wider selection of safe marinas.

[hezi973]

Thank you so much everyone. This is such a valuable information!

[Kettlewell]

By mid March, I will start the leg up the East coast.

Where are you headed up the East Coast? I personally never head north until May to avoid running into cold weather. My ideal itinerary would be to reach Norfolk about June 1, and southern New England by July 1. Some Junes in New England are cold and rainy.

[MicHughV]

Green Turtle Cay a bit west of Man O' War is a good place to keep a boat. They have two protected bays there for anchoring and also a yard with travel lift if you want to keep the boat out of the water.
There is an airport close by with ferry service to it. Ferry will come pick you up right from your boat.
From GTC to the east USA is about a two day sail.

[robert sailor]

We chose St Maartin as we wanted to buy a new dinghy and motor plus plus and it’s the cheapest place to purchase anything in the Caribbean plus they stock lots of stuff. If they don’t have it you can order pretty much anything you want and it will be flown in at very good rates and no tax or duty. Go to the airport and pick up your stuff. It’s that easy. All this happens on the Dutch side plus if you need any repairs they have very good trades. If you want to enjoy French food just go to the French side of the island. You can anchor out or anchor inside a totally protected lagoon.
If you need to fly anywhere in the world it’s a good place to be. As you travel south you get to visit all the islands except for the BVI which unless you are a charterer it’s not a big miss. So there you have it.
Downside is it’s a bit further in your crossing.

[MicHughV]

Besides all that, GTC is a cutsy place to hang out for a few days, friendly, safe, many bars and restaurants, etc. Lots of other cruisers will also be there.

[MicHughV]

Once you get to the US, there are marina's everywhere, up and down the coast, take your pick. You are bound to meet many American sailors that can advise you of some good places for your consideration.

[hezi973]

(Where are you headed up the East Coast? I personally never head north until May to avoid running into cold weather. My ideal itinerary would be to reach Norfolk about June 1, and southern New England by July 1. Some Junes in New England are cold and rainy.)

Hudson river in the NYC vicinity. I know it'll be cold and I may extend my Bahamas stay. I did the east coast before from Key West to NYC on a motor boat.this is the part I am familiar with.

[mark_morwood]

You might also want to look at one of the cruising rallies that cross the Atlantic each season. They can be an easy way to meet up with other cruisers, particularly if you are looking for other families - and if you have kids with you, you will be! I have no idea what the current cost to benefit ratio is for them. We joined the Jimmy Cornell one back in 2014 partly because the cost was more than returned by them covering the marina fees at both ends. We didn't end up leaving with the fleet as we wanted to see more of the Canaries, but did catch up with them in time for the party at the end in the Caribbean.

[sw34]

Are you sure your insurance will cover an Atlantic crossing with so little experience?

I would also suggest looking into a rally as a newbie.

Last, as someone who is actively looking for dockage in NY/NJ or New England for a Catamaran you cant start early enough there are only a small handful of marinas with side tie slips.

[Zanshin]

As you are essentially doing a transatlantic "shakedown cruise" you might want to consider St. Martin as your initial destination. This is because you will likely need to have some work done on the boat and commissioned items and St. Martin is by far and away the best place in the Caribbean to have this done. I am sure that FP has arrangements with several of the places here (I arrived in St. Martin 2 days ago from Grenada) for warranty work.
I've been to almost all of the windward and leeward islands; I cruise up and down the chain for 6 months a year. Each island has unique positive and negative points. I liked Grenada, but also kept my boat in St. Lucia. If you are a Francophone the French islands are hard to beat - with Martinique and Guadeloupe offering a lot of services and most likely also will do warranty work.

[hezi973]

Originally Posted by sw34

Are you sure your insurance will cover an Atlantic crossing with so little experience?

I would also suggest looking into a rally as a newbie.

Last, as someone who is actively looking for dockage in NY/NJ or New England for a Catamaran you cant start early enough there are only a small handful of marinas with side tie slips.

Thank you for pointing it out. I have a friend that owns a marina. I am set on a space. As for insurance, yes, it is asking me to have 3 sailors with blue water experience. I have 4.