500+ Miles in 2 Months - realistic or not?

C

CharlesM

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 Mar 2004
Messages
410
Location
UK
Visit site
Hello All

My boat is in St Martin, and I am planning to move it down to Trinidad for storage there over the next nasty season.

I have planned a month for working on the boat, and then 2 months for a leisurely sail to Trinidad. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Perhaps still with rose-tinted glasses, but I have just realised it is more than 500 miles. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Is it realistic to expect to be able to take it really easy, spending a week (occasionally - we wanna spend a week on Angilla first.) cruising islands on the way, or will I need to concentrate on making the passage? FWIW Serendipity is a 43' concrete slug - she is slow (or I have not yet figured out optimal sail trimming - well, I know I have not. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif)

Input from grizzly graybeards and anyone else in the know would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Charles
 
The problems going to be casting the lines off or lifting an anchor when you find youve stopped in a place near paradise.

If you find your running short of time you could leave it with a delivery skipper
 
I think you may be taking the leisurely caribean pace a bit too seriously. Estimate at 5knots and 500nm takes 100 hours or 4 solid days. Ok, at 3 knots it's a week.

In fact, i wd imagine you might possibly be able drag your anchor about 10 miles a day fairly easily giving 600 miles in two months, although it's not really a recommended method and the nav is a bit tough unles downwind.
 
I would suggest the following stops on your way south:

St Barts
Montserrat
Antigua
Saintes
Dominica
Martinique
St Lucia
Bequia
Grenadines
Grenada
Tobago

10 stops, average 5 days each with a day sail to the next stop each time. No sweat.
I wasn't much struck by Anguilla, especially the prices, and would give it a miss next time.
 
It's a breeze.
SnowLepoard's itinerary is good. If you want to cut it down I'd take out Montserrat and Dominica (you can go past in a long day sail or just overnight in Prince Rupert's bay).

2 months is 60 days. Say 55 by the time you've done your prep. So that's ten miles a day. Look at it another way:average Atlantic crossing c20 days c 2,500 miles.

You'll have plenty of time to relax!

Main thing will be to give yourself a week in Grenda so you can pick your passage to Trinidad. At c75m This is the one overnighter you will have to do so if your boat is slow I guess you'll want to avoid squally weather.
 
Montserrat only needs a day for a taxi tour but is not to be missed. Dominica has a character all its own and again was one of our favourite spots.
 
We spent a lot of time in the Caribbean with St. Martin as our winter base. Here are a few links to various logs
"Dash down the Caribbean Chain" http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon36.asp

Sailing from Venezuela to Trinidad (short): http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon43.asp

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon38.asp

Trinidad & Tobago: http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon3.asp

and a few others.

We found that wherever possible we would sail at night, getting into the next island early in the morning rested and ready to go (cooler, and one would sleep while the other one stood watch - piece of cake).

If you need a delivery captain, we know of a few, one of whom is based in St. Martin.

Fair winds.
Jeanne
 
Can't wait to hear how it went and would love to see your boat one day. Us ferroevers need to stick together. It can get lonely out there.
 
Hi All

It is with relief that it seems as though we will not need to dash straight to the destination without time to chill. Thanks for all the routing suggestions.

JeanneP - I have followed Hostmelon's website since the days Serendipity was but a spark in my eye :-) Guess it's about time you made it to this board.

CodStewart - I hope so too :-) FWIW Serendipity will probably stay on the Eastern side of the Americas for the next 2 or 3 years.

Cheers
Charles
 
[ QUOTE ]
...move it down to Trinidad for storage there over the next nasty season.

I have planned a month for working on the boat, and then 2 months for a leisurely sail to Trinidad....

[/ QUOTE ]
There's 5+ months from now to the start of the hurricane risk. You've accounted for 3, what happens to the rest?
 
For the rest I am stuck in dreary Londinium raising funds for said fixup of boat. :-(

I wanted to go out now or January but the current project I am working on has drifted.... I have given them a hard deadline now though, so if not done by end Feb then tough. I am outta here :-)
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you want to cut it down I'd take out Montserrat and Dominica

[/ QUOTE ]

No, No, No... I've just done the trip BVI - Bequia - Mustique - Dominica - Isles des Saintes - Montserrat - BVI. Montserrat and Dominica are the must-see places.

That was all done in 13 days so a bit of a whistle-stop tour but it gave me a taste for the places I'd like to return to when I have more time.
 
St Barts is a bit twee if you go to Gustavia but we thought the anchorage at Anse des Columbiers the best in the Caribbean. There are no roads within a mile of the shore so it's really peaceful. The snorkelling is great and dress is optional!
 
Sorry, IMHO Snorkling at Anse des Columbiers is sh*t compared to Chatham Bay on Union. So many fish you can't see the rocks.

And diving at the Soufriere Pinacles in Dominica superb, 90' down and all the colours still strong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top