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Old 17-03-2017, 13:37   #1
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Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

My 58 ft cat is now in grenada and I'd like to take it up to Baltimore starting in about 3 weeks. Figure a 5 week sail with 4 stops. Is this feasible? Any thoughts on the best route. Special provisions? Etc.
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Old 17-03-2017, 14:35   #2
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

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Originally Posted by ocean.jedi View Post
My 58 ft cat is now in grenada and I'd like to take it up to Baltimore starting in about 3 weeks. Figure a 5 week sail with 4 stops. Is this feasible? Any thoughts on the best route. Special provisions? Etc.
===

It's certainly feasible if you have enough crew to stand watches and sail around the clock. If not you will have to island hop and stop every day or two.

My route would be to head north up the windward/leeward island chain to the BVIs, then south along the Puerto Rican coast to the Dominican Republic, then north to the Turks and Caicos, then north through the Exumas and Abacos. Stage in the vicinity of Marsh Harbour for a good weather window and then jump offshore to Norfolk, VA and the Chesapeake when the opportunity presents itself. The weather in the mid-Atlantic states is still decidedly on the cool side for the next month or more, so I'd focus on getting west initially instead of taking a more northerly route.
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Old 17-03-2017, 14:59   #3
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

Straight line from St Martin to Chesepeake.

Put you about 650nms east of Bahamas. Quicker, safer, better weather, wind more up your bum.
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Old 17-03-2017, 15:33   #4
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

I agree with Mark, who has done this route often. I would only stop at St Martin for provisioning and to wait, if necessary, for weather. If you wanted to you could stop in Bermuda because it is Bermuda, otherwise straight to Baltimore. Mark, with only one or two stops it seems a bit early with a departure in mid-April unless you stopped in the NE Caribbean for a time.
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Old 17-03-2017, 16:01   #5
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

Excellent advise although i was thinking a more scenic route over 5 weeks.

Grenada / Barbados/ Turks & Caicos / Freeport, Bahamas / head north to baltimore. If i ran out of time, or energy, i would tuck into the US coast for a week, then continue. Crew of three so far, but we can take on more. (four cabins on board, and I share one with my girlfriend)

Is that too ambitious?
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Old 17-03-2017, 16:10   #6
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ocean.jedi View Post
Excellent advise although i was thinking a more scenic route over 5 weeks.

Grenada / Barbados/ Turks & Caicos / Freeport, Bahamas / head north to baltimore. If i ran out of time, or energy, i would tuck into the US coast for a week, then continue. Crew of three so far, but we can take on more. (four cabins on board, and I share one with my girlfriend)

Is that too ambitious?
Why didn't you say this in your original post?

I can't see why anyone would go to Freeport. Georgetown in the Exhumas is far better.
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Old 17-03-2017, 16:21   #7
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

Thank you. that is an easy change to make. any other suggestions. I am not a total novice, but pretty much a newbie.... one step up-- part time cruiser, part time i work on land.
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Old 18-03-2017, 08:50   #8
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ocean.jedi View Post
Excellent advise although i was thinking a more scenic route over 5 weeks.

Grenada / Barbados/ Turks & Caicos / Freeport, Bahamas / head north to baltimore. If i ran out of time, or energy, i would tuck into the US coast for a week, then continue. Crew of three so far, but we can take on more. (four cabins on board, and I share one with my girlfriend)

Is that too ambitious?
With a 58' cat you are going to spend a fortune in entrance fees in the Bahamas and T&C. By fortune I mean $600 for the Bahamas, and well over $100 for T&C.

Maje
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Old 18-03-2017, 08:53   #9
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

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Originally Posted by Tom and Maje View Post
With a 58' cat you are going to spend a fortune in entrance fees in the Bahamas and T&C. By fortune I mean $600 for the Bahamas, and well over $100 for T&C.

Maje
===

Bahamas is $300 the last I knew.
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Old 18-03-2017, 08:56   #10
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

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Originally Posted by wayne.b View Post
===

Bahamas is $300 the last I knew.
For boats up to $40'. That's what we paid. After that it doubles.

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Old 18-03-2017, 09:20   #11
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

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For boats up to $40'. That's what we paid. After that it doubles.

Maje
With all due respect, that is incorrect. We pay $300 for our 49 footer.

Quoting from noonsite.com, here is the info:

----
There is a flat fee to clear Customs and Immigration, which is $150.00 for boats up to 30 feet and $300.00 for boats over 30ft. This covers a vessel with up to three people. Additional persons are charged $25 each.
Note: The official Bahamas Customs site (www.bahamas.gov.bs/customs) has not been updated since 2011 and still says 35ft!
This fee includes a cruising permit, a fishing permit (request this endorsement), Customs and Immigration charges and the departure fee and covers a 2nd entry within a 90 day period.
Payment in cash only. Ensure a receipt is obtained from the clearing officer.
----

Bahamas —
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Old 18-03-2017, 09:24   #12
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

Yes, Bahamas will exact their pound of flesh, but if you want a scenic route rather than just delivery, you can't really avoid them. They, along with the Windwards, Leewards, VI (British, US and Spanish), are where the best scenery is to be found, depending upon what interests you most. We spent 3 months between St. Vincent and Abaco on our cat, and wished we'd had twice as much - so I'd enjoy what you can there and wait until as late in the spring as you can and then look for good weather window to do the last long leg from Northern Bahamas to the Chesapeake as quickly as possible.

I might skip the T&C, though - not so much because of the extra cost as because of the time wasted going in & out and because there's not a lot there that's distinctively different from what you'll find in the Bahamas. When we did our trip, shoving off from Boqueron, we only went there for parts & repairs, as there's good services there that can't be found until hundreds of miles further up into the Bahamas and we didn't want to go into the DR. We enjoyed it but would have preferred more time in SE & Central Bahamas. You could clear into Great Inagua - where it's easy and friendly (even if not much of interest there), or (I believe) Acklins, Crooked or Mayaguana - or a bit further along, Long Island.....which I wish we'd had more time to explore.

There's plenty more info out there and I'm sure more CF members with more experience and knowledge than I - but feel free to message me if you'd like to chat.

Kevin
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Old 18-03-2017, 09:25   #13
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

Quote:
Originally Posted by wayne.b View Post
With all due respect, that is incorrect. We pay $300 for our 49 footer.

Quoting from noonsite.com, here is the info:

----
There is a flat fee to clear Customs and Immigration, which is $150.00 for boats up to 30 feet and $300.00 for boats over 30ft. This covers a vessel with up to three people. Additional persons are charged $25 each.
Note: The official Bahamas Customs site (www.bahamas.gov.bs/customs) has not been updated since 2011 and still says 35ft!
This fee includes a cruising permit, a fishing permit (request this endorsement), Customs and Immigration charges and the departure fee and covers a 2nd entry within a 90 day period.
Payment in cash only. Ensure a receipt is obtained from the clearing officer.
----

Bahamas —
I stand corrected. We had friends on a 50' cat pay $600 two years ago.

Maje
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Old 18-03-2017, 09:27   #14
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

But it goes to $500 if you renew for a 2nd year (probably not an issue here, unless you fall in love and decide to forget Baltimore!)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom and Maje View Post
With a 58' cat you are going to spend a fortune in entrance fees in the Bahamas and T&C. By fortune I mean $600 for the Bahamas, and well over $100 for T&C.

Maje
Quote:
Originally Posted by wayne.b View Post
With all due respect, that is incorrect. We pay $300 for our 49 footer.

Quoting from noonsite.com, here is the info:

----
There is a flat fee to clear Customs and Immigration, which is $150.00 for boats up to 30 feet and $300.00 for boats over 30ft. This covers a vessel with up to three people. Additional persons are charged $25 each.
Note: The official Bahamas Customs site (www.bahamas.gov.bs/customs) has not been updated since 2011 and still says 35ft!
This fee includes a cruising permit, a fishing permit (request this endorsement), Customs and Immigration charges and the departure fee and covers a 2nd entry within a 90 day period.
Payment in cash only. Ensure a receipt is obtained from the clearing officer.
----

Bahamas —
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Old 18-03-2017, 12:34   #15
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Re: Grenada to Baltimore, Is this do-able?

With a 58' cat I hope 700.00 isn't considered a fortune :-)

Isn't Bahamas 300.00 for a one year permit?
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