Skip Gundlach wrote:.


We'll need to do that quickly - not hang out on the hook for the best
weather, which will mean trying to guage the weather before we leave from
St. Pete.


Hi Skip,
My Bahamas crossings have been with my 22 foot 4 foot draft sloop, so some
of my experiences may not apply to you. That being said, for the late Winter
and
early Spring you should see a lot of prevailing Easterly winds (not what you
want).
You can take advantage of the Northers that come down from the upper USA.
That causes the winds to go around clockwise. Timing here is critical that you
start
your trip when the winds are from the SE or S. Leaving from the mid or lower
keys,
you should get a nice beam reach for hopefully one day. It can be quicker than
that,
depending on how fast the front is moving. You definitely do not want to leave
with
any chance of the wind coming out of the NW, N, or NE as the Gulf Stream gets
very nasty with steep uncomfortable waves. Our weather has been pretty erratic
for the past few years, so I would not put too much faith in wind charts. You
can
find some in the Yachtsman Guide to the Bahamas, but they cannot be relied on.
You
seem to have a 63 footer which should get you across the 50 mile span in say 6
hours,
or less. I would leave at the crack of dawn to allow an arrival in early
afternoon, barring
other unusual circumstances. Also, check the Yachtsman's Guide for facilities
there.

Have a good sail,

Sherwin D.