Antigua to Fort Lauderdale

[JOHANSAIL]

If anyone has experience sailing to ft lauderdale from antigua please let me know which route you prefer and where do you stop for provisioning. Leaving on april 27 and planning a 2 week trip on a shannon 43.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, JOHANSAIL.

[LH44 Anne]

The express route is north of PR and Hispaniola, through the Old Bahama Channel north of Cuba and south of the Bahamas, and turn northwest through the Santoren Channel to the Gulf Stream and home. Tend to be a rather rough trip, but almost always broad reaching. Fast, but not always comfortable. I have friends who do this fairly regularly. (Their scheduling requires it. Idiots!)

I'm in NE Florida, so I just took the route up through the Caicos channel, along the north side of the Bahamas and jumped off from Marsh Harbor to cross the stream. Very benign route for us. To get to Lauderdale, it would be better (Make a stop in Marsh Harbor or Hope Town if you want to take a break. There are lots of other places to stop along this route, too.) to go south of Grand Bahama and out from Great Issac to the stream. It's farther north than a crossing to Lauderdale should be, and you may have to fight to get south, but its a lot more benign than the Old Bahama Channel route. If Great Issac worries you, you could cross the banks to Bimini and jump off from there and have an easier time making Ft. Lauderdale.

[Hud3]

Re: provisioning... There's a great grocery store right next to Jolly Harbour. You can stock up and then clear out at the JH C&I office.

I agree with Jim's advice (above).

[Janice]

What about if you are sailing the Old Bahama Channel to the west coast of FL and do not want to go through the Bahamas? Is there a good anchorage and provisions available in great inagua?