How Big a Boat to Cross Safely from Florida to the Bahamas ?

[sailnautilus]

I am in Stuart Florida and have done it on a large SeaDoo (GTX 3 seater). We do it with two that we own, take extra fuel, and we are in West End in less than 2 hours.....

THE KEY..... is the weather. NO NORTHERN COMPONENT!!!! And if it was nothern yesterday.... give it a day or two to calm down.

We have gotten beaten badly in our 52' ocean-going aluminum sailboat when we had to retun to FL to make a deadline... That is one NASTY little strip of water when the winds run counter to the current and the seas build.... and remember.... the weather forecasts are really only guesses.....

[pete33458]

You kind of have to phrase this question in the context of the weather conditions you are willing to go in. In a light SW wind (which we rarely see here), you could go across in a dinghy. In the dreaded "northerly component" that is so often mentioned, if it's above 15 kts and it been blowing for a day or more, I wouldn't take my 36' across. On the other hand, I've gone across on a 51' Dufour when the wind had been NE at >25kt for 4 straight days, and although it was no fun at all, there was never any question the boat was going to make it. So there is no one answer, except possibly that ANY boat can do it in the right conditions.

A lot depends on your ability and your sail inventory as well. pete

[WoodsAndWaters]

Thank you for all the responses. Yes, my question was in reference to sail.

I'm surprised at the number of people who responded "jetskis" or "PWC's". I worked on the design and manufacture of those machines for two years and I don't know if any of us ever thought of folks using them to cross the Gulf Stream.

What prompted my question was quite simply this: I was sitting at the computer, looking at some boat ads and started to wonder just how large a boat one truly needed in order to make that crossing, ASSUMING the operator was experienced and skilled enough to handle the boat competently.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

- Tim

[Ram]

Tim Size does not matter, heck a bottle with a cork in it can go around the world forever , in the worst storms, its all about the build

[Chef-of-the-Sea]

Could be done in a Cape Dory Typhoon and it's only 18', does have a full keel though