How Many Hours to Sail from Red Hook to Nanny Cay

[spencerj1961]

I was wondering how many hours under typical July winds should it take to sail from Red Hook St Thomas to Nanny Cay. Also if we had to motor the whole way, how many hours should that take. I will be sailing a Jeanneau 50 Thank you

[Jeannius]

You can't sail Red Hook to Nanny Cay. You need to clear BVI C&I at either Sopers Hole or Jost Van Dyke before heading to Nanny Cay.

If you could sail it, I'd allow maybe 4-5 hours, chances are you'll be motoring a good bit of the way.

[spencerj1961]

Thank you for that bit of information. I knew about on the way out clearing at St Johns. Just trying to figure out the logistics of returning the boat and how long it will take. Guess I will have to allocate the whole day to get back to Nanny Cay. Thanks again for your reply and information.

[Rubikoop]

It's only about 16 miles. A 50' mono should be able to motor at 7kts. A bit over two hours is how long it took me on my 39' mono to motor the same route in April for the BVI Spring Regatta. C&I was at Nanny Cay so a stop in West End wasn't needed. I would budget at hour to clear C&I in West End. In July there's a good chance you will have a southerly component to the wind potentially allowing you sail/motor sail some of the route. That could reduce your travel time.

[who_cares]

Distance = Speed*Time, Time = Distance/Speed

Look at the forecast, know how fast your boat can go, figure out how far it is, and voila! You just figured out how long it would take to sail from point A to Point B. Congratulations, you get a gold star!

[Stu Jackson]

I usually answer that way, too!

In this case, why go to Red Hook at all, which requires the whole check in & out nonsense.

Unless there's a good reason, like dropping off or picking someone else up. There was a recent thread where we discouraged someone who was sailing the BVIs to even bother going to the USVI, even though we all recognize that some of St. John is really nice.

Have a great trip.

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by who_cares

Distance = Speed*Time, Time = Distance/Speed

Look at the forecast, know how fast your boat can go, figure out how far it is, and voila! You just figured out how long it would take to sail from point A to Point B. Congratulations, you get a gold star!

That was a singularly uninformative post, and incorrect. On the water, in a sailboat, one has things called "tides", "currents" and "wind direction" - which don't fit into your simplified formula.

When going from Red Hook to Nanny Cay there are actually pieces of land, which look nice on a chart but make for difficult sailing, in the way. Thus the original poster's question is a perfectly valid one and worthy of a real answer rather than a flippant one.
Just a question for who_cares - have you actually ever sailed from Red Hook to Nanny Cay? I feel qualified to answer, since I have. But perhaps you have more experience, in which case I'll defer to your answer.

To the OP - don't plan on sailing this, motor it; especially if you are on a schedule. Once past Mahoe Bay you are going to be tacking between the BVI and USVI several times to get to Nanny Cay since current and wind are going to be against you, and you'll get waves from the whole fetch of the Sir Francis Drake channel. You will be bashing uphill almost the whole way. Jeannius (who not only knows these waters but has circumnavigated the globe under sail and thus qualifies as an expert) was spot-on in their post.

[vtsailguy]

Some info here about what spots you can go between

http://sailingwithkids.net/bvi-usvi-...hildren-redux/

[pistarckle]

I done that route for many years . When going up the Drake Passage , sailing or motoring NEVER tack back and forth across the middle of the channel , short tack one side or the other . Strong current in the middle . I daysailed out of Maho several thousand times and those of us with local knowledge always won the brushes against the bareboaters . Strong current !!

[captainjay]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

I usually answer that way, too!

In this case, why go to Red Hook at all, which requires the whole check in & out nonsense.

Unless there's a good reason, like dropping off or picking someone else up. There was a recent thread where we discouraged someone who was sailing the BVIs to even bother going to the USVI, even though we all recognize that some of St. John is really nice.

Have a great trip.

Who is "we". All of St John is nice, as is most of St Thomas, and Lovango and Congo and Stevens Key and the Cow and Calf, Buck Island, the James etc. Never mind I see your from California so logic won't work.

So what ever you do don't go any where near this place, it's just like LA congested, polluted and American. See picture below.





Customs between the US and British Virgins is no big deal. I have done it countless times. As for the trip that time of year in the OP's boat it could be anywhere from a three hours to five depending on wind and how much motoring you do including allowing an hour to clear in West End. If you are a US citizen on a US boat you don't have to clear out of the US to go into the BVI.
Jay

[who_cares]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

That was a singularly uninformative post, and incorrect. On the water, in a sailboat, one has things called "tides", "currents" and "wind direction" - which don't fit into your simplified formula.

When going from Red Hook to Nanny Cay there are actually pieces of land, which look nice on a chart but make for difficult sailing, in the way. Thus the original poster's question is a perfectly valid one and worthy of a real answer rather than a flippant one.
Just a question for who_cares - have you actually ever sailed from Red Hook to Nanny Cay? I feel qualified to answer, since I have. But perhaps you have more experience, in which case I'll defer to your answer.

To the OP - don't plan on sailing this, motor it; especially if you are on a schedule. Once past Mahoe Bay you are going to be tacking between the BVI and USVI several times to get to Nanny Cay since current and wind are going to be against you, and you'll get waves from the whole fetch of the Sir Francis Drake channel. You will be bashing uphill almost the whole way. Jeannius (who not only knows these waters but has circumnavigated the globe under sail and thus qualifies as an expert) was spot-on in their post.

No in fact I haven't sailed that distance. I was trying to be funny. In all seriousness though it shouldn't be too hard to figure that out. Just figure out the straight line distance, look at the wind direction and speed, know which way to go to not hit anything, and then add 20% for insurance. Easy peazy lemon squeezy.

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by who_cares

No in fact I haven't sailed that distance. I was trying to be funny. In all seriousness though it shouldn't be too hard to figure that out. Just figure out the straight line distance, look at the wind direction and speed, know which way to go to not hit anything, and then add 20% for insurance. Easy peazy lemon squeezy.

There lies your problem. It would appear easy to figure out but that's where local knowledge trumps a chart. If you had transited that route even a couple of times you would quickly understand that the high hills on either side of the channel create a wind funnel through the Narrows and around Tortola making it very tough to tack up through there. Mixed with the seas and prevailing current, most on vacation motor the majority of that passage. Go ahead and tack up there and tell me how easy peazy it is when you get to Nanny Cay.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Rubikoop

There lies your problem. It would appear easy to figure out but that's where local knowledge trumps a chart. If you had transited that route even a couple of times you would quickly understand that the high hills on either side of the channel create a wind funnel through the Narrows and around Tortola making it very tough to tack up through there. Mixed with the seas and prevailing current, most on vacation motor the majority of that passage. Go ahead and tack up there and tell me how easy peazy it is when you get to Nanny Cay.

Ahhh, but you doubtless were not aware that his computer will sail directly upwind at ten knots in all wind strengths.

Silly you...

Jim

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Ahhh, but you doubtless were not aware that his computer will sail directly upwind at ten knots in all wind strengths.

Like a motor vessel.