S. Florida base for Caribbean winter cruises?

[Sandy Bottom]

We have finally made the decision to buy something like a Lagoon 440 or 450 private owners version and 'semi-retire' for 5 or 6 months onboard say Dec-April in S.Florida / Bahamas / Virgin Isles / Caribbean etc. This isn't just wishful thinking, the plan is to buy the boat and have it in place over this summer ready to cruise from December.

The issue is that I am way out of date with the above areas - I skippered up to 100 footers out of Fort Lauderdale for a few years and did virtually all of the Bahamas in that time - but that was over 20 years ago. Again I did some transats to Antigua but that was 1970's / 80's time.

My question is, do we look for a a permanent base in say the Fort Lauderdale / Miami area and transit from there down to the Carib and back each year - or do we consider a Caribbean base (either a fixed one or a different base each year)?

We would lift out for 7 months of each year and mothball the boat, so a good reliable base is essential. I would soon find my way around the Florida marine facilities again, but it is the current state of the Caribbean facilities where my knowledge is thin simply because most facilities didn't really exist there in 1979/80!
Any thoughts from the wise?

 

[Motor_Sailor]

It's quite a flog from S Florida to the Caribbean.

There's loads on American websites about the Thorny Passage and you have to decide if that's how you want to start each season.

If not, it either limits you to the Bahamas (Turk / Caicos) or a Caribbean base would be more suitable.

 

[Palarran]

If you want to sail the Bahamas, the best option is to haul out at Bradford Marine in Freeport. It's the least expensive option and has the best travel lift. If you are going to cruise the actual Caribbean, then Antigua, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and possibly Greneda are the best options - for a catamaran. Personally I'd avoid Trinidad right now and Florida has never held much interest to me for actual boating (and is expensive).

 

[Sandy Bottom]

Thanks Guys, that gives me something to research, I'd forgotten about the Thorny Passage - starting to come back to me now!

 

[KellysEye]

The issue with Florida is it is upwind and up-current to the Caribbean, but many American boats do it and then stay in the Caribbean.

 

[Sandy Bottom]

If you want to sail the Bahamas, the best option is to haul out at Bradford Marine in Freeport. It's the least expensive option and has the best travel lift. If you are going to cruise the actual Caribbean, then Antigua, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and possibly Greneda are the best options - for a catamaran. Personally I'd avoid Trinidad right now and Florida has never held much interest to me for actual boating (and is expensive).

I'm very surprised that you describe Florida as 'expensive' as we always used to shop / load up there on all boat bits / spares / food etc. Has it really changed that much or do you mean expensive as in dockage fees versus anchoring etc?

 

[TQA]

Dockage for a cat in Southern Florida will be eye wateringly expensive

 

[BobnLesley]

...onboard say Dec-April in S.Florida / Bahamas / Virgin Isles / Caribbean etc...a permanent base in say the Fort Lauderdale / Miami area and transit from there down to the Carib and back each year...

As noted by others already, many (most?) east coast American yachts transit to the Caribbean from Florida via the Thorny-Path, but that's punching wind, current and seas the whole way; having waited for suitable weather windows to make progress, in all likelihood it'll be April/time to come back before you've ever reached the Caribbean.
We have several friend who do 'commute' between the US east coast and the Caribbean each year but they all depart from the Carolinas and points north, taking the offshore route in November/December; there's no reason you can't do the same from a Florida base, but the first leg of your southbound passage would invariably be sailing north and east with the Gulf Stream to North Carolina, in which case you'd probably find cheaper and less hurricane susceptible boat storage somewhere up there rather than in Florida.

 

[Sandy Bottom]

Thanks for all the replies folks, all very useful information.
Whilst Florida dockage rates are actually not much different than we currently pay for our 62' on the UK South coast - the point about the % of our 5 months that we may spend in transit is well made - especially as the whole idea is to finally take our time with things and avoid the pressures of short weather windows.

All in all it probably makes sense to tackle the Caribbean from a base there and to gradually explore further north including ICW / Great Lakes etc. as we get further into full time retirement and (2 or 3 years time) and therefore can extend cruising into the summers.

So - potential Caribbean bases to consider ....................

 

[TQA]

Your choice of Caribbean base may be dictated by your insurance company. Check with them first.

Trinidad is OK with most. Not sure if there are direct flights from the UK.

Grenada is OK with many and has direct flights. It is also one of the friendliest Caribbean islands.

 

[Sandy Bottom]

Your choice of Caribbean base may be dictated by your insurance company. Check with them first.

Trinidad is OK with most. Not sure if there are direct flights from the UK.

Grenada is OK with many and has direct flights. It is also one of the friendliest Caribbean islands.

Pantaeneus (but would swap if I needed to, the days where I let others stop me doing what I fancy are long over) - I'll do some research on Grenada, thanks for the info :encouragement:

 

[BobnLesley]

T...probably makes sense to tackle the Caribbean from a base there and to gradually explore further north including ICW / Great Lakes etc...So - potential Caribbean bases to consider ....................

As noted if you're comprehensively insured then you Insurers will in part dictate.
It changes year to year but Trini, Grenada and nowadays Carriacou too seem to remain favourites; as a rule of thumb the further north you go in the Eastern Caribbean, the greater your Hurricane-risk. That said, if you're laying-up and flying away for months at a time, I quite liked the look of and prices quoted at the storage yard at the top end of St Kitts.

As an aside, given that you've a 62-footer, there are mast height restrictions (generally 65') in much of the ICW and depths too can make things interesting once you get beyond a 6' draft.

 

[TQA]

Not many catamarans draw 6 ft

 

[geem]

As noted if you're comprehensively insured then you Insurers will in part dictate.
It changes year to year but Trini, Grenada and nowadays Carriacou too seem to remain favourites; as a rule of thumb the further north you go in the Eastern Caribbean, the greater your Hurricane-risk. That said, if you're laying-up and flying away for months at a time, I quite liked the look of and prices quoted at the storage yard at the top end of St Kitts.

Have you actually seen the yard at the top end of St Kitts? Its not a place I want to leave my boat.

 

[Sandy Bottom]

As noted if you're comprehensively insured then you Insurers will in part dictate.
It changes year to year but Trini, Grenada and nowadays Carriacou too seem to remain favourites; as a rule of thumb the further north you go in the Eastern Caribbean, the greater your Hurricane-risk. That said, if you're laying-up and flying away for months at a time, I quite liked the look of and prices quoted at the storage yard at the top end of St Kitts.
As an aside, given that you've a 62-footer, there are mast height restrictions (generally 65') in much of the ICW and depths too can make things interesting once you get beyond a 6' draft.

Apologies, I should have been clearer. The 62' is a mono hull in the UK (mast 82', draught 8'6") - We are talking about a different boat purchase for this use, probably a Lagoon 440/450 or similar. I'm aware of the ICW limitations from my old Fort Lauderdale experience. :encouragement:

Probably looking for the owners version with 2 x 54hp Yanmars so that when we fully retire (2/3 years) we can make progress motoring up the ICW under power and have the mast shipped by road to meet us up north / great lakes.

I had been looking at trawler or semi displacement mobo's but have probably now settled for a large engined sailing cat - a bit of a compromise I know but there will only be the two of us and the current mono is 33 tons - fine when all is going well but you guys know the score.