Ny To Spanish Virgins And Back In 4 Months ?

[Tom Farley]

Hello All - My business / income will require me to be back here from Late March to Late October each Summer. So I have from Nov. Early March to sail. We will be buying a 38 - 4 4' Cat Soon.

My plan is to leave Albany NY. on the Hudson [So I can work on the Cat during the Summer I need to have it within an hour of me ] and get to the Spanish Virgins - Either Down the East Coast to Florida , then across to the Spanish Virgins via Cuba and Puerto Rico.. or ?

I am sure there are people out there who cruise the winter from this northern latitude to the Caribbean and back for the Summer . I am asking what their experience has been. I know weather dictates and I am sailing to windward . Am I leaving my self too little time?

ANY advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You In Advance

TOM

[imagine2frolic]

Absolutely it can be done. Do you really want to spend your time making progress, and then return home? I myself would enjoy this, but it isn't for everyone. Read the THORNLESS PASSAGE, and you will get tons of information that will answer your question.

Why not leave the boat in your desired destination, or maybe south Florida? We leave northern Florida before a northern storm. We manage 450 miles in 48 -+ hours to drop the hook in Miami. Then of course there is always going offshore to 65 longitude, and turning south...............i2f

[Tom Farley]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Absolutely it can be done. Do you really want to spend your time making progress, and then return home? I myself would enjoy this, but it isn't for everyone. Read the THORNLESS PASSAGE, and you will get tons of information that will answer your question.

Why not leave the boat in your desired destination, or maybe south Florida? We leave northern Florida before a northern storm. We manage 450 miles in 48 -+ hours to drop the hook in Miami. Then of course there is always going offshore to 65 longitude, and turning south...............i2f

I agree with you . I think the easiest way is to leave the boat for the Summer wherever we end up....I have someone in the BVI's that I trust completely and could use that as a base. The next question is , is there a compilation list of Harbors along the Islands that are trustworthy. My Thornless Path copy is well worn but older and their must be updated information

I googled Hurricane holes and got quite a good list of them ....

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE RESPONSE!!!!

TOM

[imagine2frolic]

Insurance will be the sticky point. Some insurance companies will have more request than others to comply. Leaving the boat on the hard can be a good choice. Having her strapped down will probably make an insurance company smile, and give you piece of mind. As far as hurricane holes go. You would need to be with the boat, and I wouldn't want to leave my boat at most docks during a cane.

I am at an old Navy facility with working piers. My concern in the 3 canes I have been through. I wondered if my cleats would hold out. The pier was going nowhere!..........i2f

[osirissailing]

In the Virgins/Puerto Rico the only safe places to leave a boat is in one of the marina set up for hurricanes. Primarily this is Puerto del Rey just south of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The have a concrete yard with secure tiedowns that can take the stress of a passing storm and are sufficiently high and away from the water to not be affected by storm surge.

There are other boatyards - Independent Boatyard on St Thomas, St. Croix Marine and Green Cay Marine on St. Croix; Nanny Cay and Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor on Virgin Gorda, BVI. There are also some boatyards on Tortola. Basically you do not want to leave the boat in the water anywhere unless you are going to be on it. The winds are one thing but the most damage is caused by storm surge that raises the tide above the pilings on most marinas. "On the hard" storage in a boatyard "approved by insurance companies" for hurricane storage is the only reliable way to leave the boat.

However, there are ten thousand boats in the area and boatyards for only a thousand or two. So you will have to make arrangements in January/Feb prior to each season for storage. The boatyards normally take a 3 or 4 month "pre-payment" for storage to "hold" your spot for you. And the money is not refundable if you do not use the storage spot. Call it an "insurance premium" on having a place to put the boat in case of a storm.

But in your case if you are going to return to work, then the storage will be used so you are actually getting your money's worth.

[Tom Farley]

THANKS !!! This is great Advice . Summer storage does work better than sailing back....