Brian Whatcott wrote:
Wanted: A Sensible First landfall in the Caribbean for Inland Sailers.

My son and I would like to take a baby step offshore from Florida to a
Caribbean destination, in fair weather, aboard a SouthCoast 23
(A trailerable centerboard sloop) as a first voyage, next Summer.


Bimini is do-able. Cuba would be better, but is officially
not among the kosher destinations.


I hope that this is not a question of the kind that if you have to
ask, you shouldn't be doing it.....
I would appreciate any and all advice on the topic.


Wouldn't hurt to study some meteorology in advance of making
a trip like this. What you want is a period of calms and
light southerlies for long enough to make the crossing. The
Gulf Stream flows north, and gets very uncomfortable...
possibly dangerous... in northerly winds. IIRC the recipe
calls for a high pressure cell passing over or south of you.

Lots of people wait for a week or more for a proper weather
window, it's not the kind of thing you can schedule. If
you're going to try for it, be prepared to wait and then
cancel... fortunately there are lots of fun things to do in
the staging area, good sailing destinations nearby.

For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini. I know of at least one person who has made this
crossing in Beetle Cat and it wouldn't surprise me if there
were others.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:09:24 -0400, DSK wrote:

For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini.

All true but Bimini is just a fly speck compared to the rest of the
Bahamas and Carribean. People make the trip to Bimini in jet skis and
small center consoles also, and every year there are more than a few
who capsize out there. There are lots of places on the gulf coast
more interesting than Bimini and without the hazards of the gulf
stream to contend with.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:09:24 -0400, DSK wrote:

For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini.

All true but Bimini is just a fly speck compared to the rest of the
Bahamas and Carribean. People make the trip to Bimini in jet skis and
small center consoles also, and every year there are more than a few
who capsize out there. There are lots of places on the gulf coast
more interesting than Bimini and without the hazards of the gulf
stream to contend with.

Bahamas in a 23' is doable. However, in summer, ARE YOU NUTS? Summer
is miserable in FL even down thataway and the Bahamas cant be much
better, you'll bake. When you arent baking, you'll battle dead calms
followed by violent thunderstorms and then more calms. Pure misery.
THEN, there are hurricanes.............

wrote:
Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:09:24 -0400, DSK wrote:

For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini.

All true but Bimini is just a fly speck compared to the rest of the
Bahamas and Carribean. People make the trip to Bimini in jet skis and
small center consoles also, and every year there are more than a few
who capsize out there. There are lots of places on the gulf coast
more interesting than Bimini and without the hazards of the gulf
stream to contend with.

Bahamas in a 23' is doable. However, in summer, ARE YOU NUTS? Summer
is miserable in FL even down thataway and the Bahamas cant be much
better, you'll bake. When you arent baking, you'll battle dead calms
followed by violent thunderstorms and then more calms. Pure misery.
THEN, there are hurricanes.............

However, many people seem to do it in June which I suppose is almost
ok. Trailer her down to the Keys and try that. Go out to Dry Tortugas
(about 60 miles from Key West) and coming back anchor at Marquesas to
extend your time away from civilization.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:09:24 -0400, DSK wrote:

For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini.

All true but Bimini is just a fly speck compared to the rest of the
Bahamas and Carribean. People make the trip to Bimini in jet skis and
small center consoles also, and every year there are more than a few
who capsize out there. There are lots of places on the gulf coast
more interesting than Bimini and without the hazards of the gulf
stream to contend with.

Bahamas in a 23' is doable. However, in summer, ARE YOU NUTS? Summer
is miserable in FL even down thataway and the Bahamas cant be much
better, you'll bake. When you arent baking, you'll battle dead calms
followed by violent thunderstorms and then more calms. Pure misery.
THEN, there are hurricanes.............

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:09:24 -0400, DSK wrote:

For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini.

All true but Bimini is just a fly speck compared to the rest of the
Bahamas and Carribean. People make the trip to Bimini in jet skis and
small center consoles also, and every year there are more than a few
who capsize out there. There are lots of places on the gulf coast
more interesting than Bimini and without the hazards of the gulf
stream to contend with.

Bahamas in a 23' is doable. However, in summer, ARE YOU NUTS? Summer
is miserable in FL even down thataway and the Bahamas cant be much
better, you'll bake. When you arent baking, you'll battle dead calms
followed by violent thunderstorms and then more calms. Pure misery.
THEN, there are hurricanes.............

For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini.


Wayne.B wrote:
All true but Bimini is just a fly speck compared to the rest of the
Bahamas and Carribean. People make the trip to Bimini in jet skis and
small center consoles also, and every year there are more than a few
who capsize out there.

Yep. I've seen tin skiffs out there somewhere between the
two. Now that's pushing one's luck IMHO

I wasn't trying to claim that a 23' trailerable was the best
pick for such a journey, only reminding the "Cap'n Salty"
types out there that smaller boats that that have
circumnavigated, and that the real deciding factor in
seaworthiness is not the LOA or trailerability of the boat.



.... There are lots of places on the gulf coast
more interesting than Bimini and without the hazards of the gulf
stream to contend with.


Agreed.

DSK

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:09:24 -0400, DSK wrote:


For those who are convinced that sailing a trailerable 23
footer to the Bahamas is suicidal, let me remind you that
there used to be a race in Sunfish from Lauderdale to
Bimini.


All true but Bimini is just a fly speck compared to the rest of the
Bahamas and Carribean. People make the trip to Bimini in jet skis and
small center consoles also, and every year there are more than a few
who capsize out there. There are lots of places on the gulf coast
more interesting than Bimini and without the hazards of the gulf
stream to contend with.


One of the participants of the 2006 Sandpiper rendezvous in the Thousand
Islands area wants to hold the next one in the Marquesa Keys off Key
West, FL. Since this guy lives in Denver Colorado, it's the same
distance to trailer there as it would be to come to Eastern Canada.
Our Sandpipers are 5.65 meter long mini-cruisers.

Don White wrote:


One of the participants of the 2006 Sandpiper rendezvous in the Thousand
Islands area wants to hold the next one in the Marquesa Keys off Key
West, FL. Since this guy lives in Denver Colorado, it's the same
distance to trailer there as it would be to come to Eastern Canada.
Our Sandpipers are 5.65 meter long mini-cruisers.


ooops... or was it the 'Dry Tortugas??