Sailing to UK from Carib instead of flying: issues/help please

[t21]

Ordinarily lots of us carib boaties would dump the boat on an island ( i prefer safest=Trinidad) hop on plane and LGW within 10 hours. But no planes, Trinidad shut atm, no news yet. That may change, hm.

I need to get to civilsation (ie not Carib really) over summer.

So a solo transat thrash looms. No chance of getting crew - they can't fly in with zero flights. I have done the route W-E a few times, solo'd other boats a few weeks here and there. Nope not solo'd w to E but it'll be fine I bet.

1 Does anyone fancy doing armchair routing? I will set off mid-late May. I will have satphone, so texts from Internnet via iridium messaging is free to send. I also get GRIB files from satphone, but extra texts useful. One or max two volunteers is ok, not "loads'. I send positon, router send their musings prolly once a day max, sometimes twice, often hardly at all if it's "no change"
2 Does anyone have an idea where I could park a 60x 28ft catamaran on south coast? A mooring would be ok. Solent areas best - I am aiming Midlands once ashore.
3 A better option would be to park in Canaries ti Nov, probably Lanzarote: if (from Azores) canaries open up and FLIGHTS to UK doable - that's better for next season back to Carib.

Thanks

 

[geem]

Why do you need to leave Trini? You are out of the hurricane bowling alley. Insurance wont be an issue. Lots of people trying to get their boat to Trini for the summer but you want to leave? Why?

 

[gertha]

If you get stuck finding a router I can help; but there will be better forecasters than me out there, my experience has always been on the receiving end so I know how it works, PM if you get stuck.

My thinking is there is no sense in leaving boat anywhere for the next year ,other than your home country.
It will only take someone , anywhere in the world to record a slight increase in the current virus, or potentially another strain of something or other the great high priests in the WHO will stop the world again.

If I was in your boots, my first choice would be leave boat in Trinidad and pray no “virgins“ are sacrificed and you can fly back out in the autumn, I would make myself busy finding a boat to crew on to get to Europe.
Second choice would be sail to UK; but finding a berth and paying for it plus wear and tear for an Atlantic circuit you maybe better off quietly loosing the boat than the total cost of trip.
Third choice would be leave boat in Azores and fly home, San Miguel, should have space and save some money.

I would not rush back to UK, there will be little more you can do here than inTrinidad. The weather is fantastic at the moment, which pretty much guarantees the summer will be sh1t.
Put on some Bob Marley, go for a swim and have a rum punch whilst thinking of silly sods in the UK with silly big boats stuck on the hard with very little to do and no where to go.

what ever you do keep safe

simon

 

[t21]

all understood and thanks all

Esp thanks for PM's - I will repond and yes weather routing lite welcome eg "seen that Massive Wind coming Azores (i made this up) on wdnesday" kinda thing is fine.

 

[Resolution]

Ordinarily lots of us carib boaties would dump the boat on an island ( i prefer safest=Trinidad) hop on plane and LGW within 10 hours. But no planes, Trinidad shut atm, no news yet. That may change, hm.
I need to get to civilsation (ie not Carib really) over summer.

Seems like your mid-March labelling of the situation as a "Shamdemic" was wrong? Tough .

 

[t21]

Seems like your mid-March labelling of the situation as a "Shamdemic" was wrong? Tough .

um, well this isn't the krect forum. Prhaps check out the response of Sweden?

Maybe others have noticed that those with boats with names like RESOLUTION or FORTITUDE often reflect the opposite characteristics. Whatever

And yeah, my boat "Mojo" will be solo sailed across the Atlantic, also rather flying the face of the meaning of that name, ahem.

I hope these forums might return to being a venue for lighthearted boaty info exchange? Not "har har you're wrong!" though I can see post-Brexit and Trump etc that hope might be forlorn.

 

[nortada]

um, well this isn't the krect forum. Prhaps check out the response of Sweden?

Maybe others have noticed that those with boats with names like RESOLUTION or FORTITUDE often reflect the opposite characteristics. Whatever

And yeah, my boat "Mojo" will be solo sailed across the Atlantic, also rather flying the face of the meaning of that name, ahem.

I hope these forums might return to being a venue for lighthearted boaty info exchange? Not "har har you're wrong!" though I can see post-Brexit and Trump etc that hope might be forlorn.

The Liveaboard Forum is to help folk long term on boats so since you raise it, I would suggest that some of your recent threads have also not been in the ‘krect’ place and would be more at home in the Loungs?

 

[t21]

Yes. But the reality is that people don't speak like that. The forums USED to include billionaires who owned superyachts, others who sailed far an wide, other who owned yacht building factories. They HAD to be here because it was vibrant, important, funny, and everyone was here. Or everyone who could write

Then the forums were split up. The "funny" stuff had to be elsewhere. So circumnavigators and much more don't bother now, the forums hardly changes from one month to another, cos numpties can whine that this or that isn't the right forum. Enjoy!

 

[greeny]

Sounds like this forum doesn't suite your needs with all the whining numpties that abound here.
So, do I take it that you will be leaving and joining your billionaire friends, world travellers and yacht constructors in some other forum.

 

[srm]

Getting back to the OP's question and the suggestion of leaving the boat in the Azores.

Two points:
The Azores is closed at the moment, not even inter-island transport for residents. Yachts may be able to anchor off and pick up fuel and stores from a pier, but no landing. No one knows how long this will last.
If you can get in finding somewhere to park a 60x28 ft catamaran could be a serious problem. Local marina berths are just not that big, other than in Ponta Delgada - and I would not like to leave any boat there unattended as it is subject to swell.

 

[t21]

Getting back to the OP's question and the suggestion of leaving the boat in the Azores.

Two points:
The Azores is closed at the moment, not even inter-island transport for residents. Yachts may be able to anchor off and pick up fuel and stores from a pier, but no landing. No one knows how long this will last.
If you can get in finding somewhere to park a 60x28 ft catamaran could be a serious problem. Local marina berths are just not that big, other than in Ponta Delgada - and I would not like to leave any boat there unattended as it is subject to swell.

Your info incorrect - we heard from PCS ok to stay

 

[t21]

Sounds like this forum doesn't suite your needs with all the whining numpties that abound here.
So, do I take it that you will be leaving and joining your billionaire friends, world travellers and yacht constructors in some other forum.

I could stay and help with your spelling? Forums are about reading and writing about boat stuff. Boats are for travel and fun. So maybe ease up a touch. Also I would say it might be better to use “on” or “at” another forum, a forum effectively being a stage for all participants. Or of course, that was the Classical ideal. Normally, ideas, changes and improvements could be suggested and discussed intelligently. Maybe try that?

 

[Stingo]

Criticism of his spelling is a cheap shot. Try harder.

 

[t21]

Not quite sure that I understand your meaning - try harder at cheap shots? Or was your comment "try harder" a reminder to yourself to perhaps avoid getting drunk and posting idle abuse? Maybe you mean mine was a cheap shot - really? Not that cheap - I'm asking about Carib sailing and living aboard - he comes back with zero information or contribution, slaps in some badly-spelled green-eyed envy abuse and uses the dull old insult - "if ya don't like it - go away!" And now you do the same? Poor show.

I was going to say that he surely can fight his own battles ... but you are probably correct to step in and help him under the circumstances.

Anyway, I'm hoping it's a message to yourself, and that you'll try a lot harder to be more informative and entertaining on threads that I start, and perhaps manage slightly longer sentences or even a whole paragraph! That would be great!

Thanks anyway to all those who contributed positively. Very useful

 

[t21]

Geem said : Why do you need to leave Trini? You are out of the hurricane bowling alley. Insurance wont be an issue. Lots of people trying to get their boat to Trini for the summer but you want to leave? Why?

I have to be at a video ocnference things and I have other uk-based projects in UK. So yours is a fab idea - don't move! But I have to do so.

To clarify - I am not in Trini - I am in st Martin. Ordinarily I would park ashore May and fly back to UK, then back to trini in October or Nov. Trini not an option without flights. My target is to be in UK in July. I can sail all the way, or sail/park/fly. Thanks again for suggestion to STAY - it always bypasses the pesky nav and sailing thing too!

 

[goeasy123]

t21: We're in A Coruna. Would that be an option?

They are accepting boats. There are flights to the UK. In the past week we've seen quite a few boats coming in from the Carrib, Madeira and the Azores. Boats were allowed to reprovision / refuel at Horta only and were asked to move on.

 

[srm]

Your info incorrect - we heard from PCS ok to stay

Who / what is PCS?
Only residents are allowed to land in the Azores at the moment, and they have to isolate in a hotel for 14 days or until tested negative for covid 19.
However, as you know better please feel free to come and find out for yourself. Things may have changed by the time you get here.

Boats were allowed to reprovision / refuel at Horta only and were asked to move on.

Which is what I said.

 

[geem]

You need to change your location from Trini to SXM if you dont want people to think you are in Trini.

 

[t21]

Who / what is PCS?
Only residents are allowed to land in the Azores at the moment, and they have to isolate in a hotel for 14 days or until tested negative for covid 19.
However, as you know better please feel free to come and find out for yourself. Things may have changed by the time you get here.


Which is what I said.

PCS is Peter’s Cafe Sport. There’s an old violin of mine on the wall. No 14-day as Confirmed by others on satphone. No going ashore yet, but no limit on stay in Horta

 

[t21]

You need to change your location from Trini to SXM if you dont want people to think you are in Trini.

Ah fair enough. YBW assumes boats only go out and back, sorry. I shd put “in the sea”