Beginner Cruising Location for August Through Dec?

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by bluewaterbill

Agree with Chesapeake as your cruising area. Aug is hot but still ok. Sept-Nov is best sailing season. Bottom is mud, so no reefs to encounter. Anchoring is easy. This is a great (and safe) location to hone your skills. Either sell the boat in the Bay, or take ICW to Florida and sell it there...but be prepared for a delayed sale. It may be possible to do a long term charter. Lots of boats spend too much time at the dock. Start looking now. Make Caribbean your destination AFTER you build your skills and confirm your enthusiasm. Btw, $60-70k would buy a decent J-105 ... Good for Ches Bay and easier to sell, I'd u decide to buy. Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback.

Re: J-105 are fantastic boats but I'm more of a mid to heavy displacement kind of guy, due to a few hundred miles of pounding offshore in northern California.

I'm almost a year out from being able to do this though, so a bit early to look at specific boats, I've only been trying to look at what sorts of boats are at various price points, just to get a general idea.

I think my only hesitation towards Chesapeake bay would be a lack of interest in the ICW. Motoring a thousand miles is not my idea of a good time, plus I could do a mini version of that here at home in the SF bay area by exploring the delta.

[Smokeys Kitchen]

+1 on Canyonbat. The San Juans and the Gulf Islands are a great place to get as much or as little "action" as you like. Inside, the weather can be pretty mild in the summer, necessitating a larger set of sails. Outside (west coast of Vancouver Island) you are basically in the Pacific Ocean with a few spots to run to if necessary. After mid Sept. the crowds go down markedly, the wind gets more consistent, and in many years there is a pretty good 'Indian Summer'. It is also a great place to be able to get parts relatively easily, and there are many marinas is anchoring out gets to be a bit much. And everyone speaks English - which depending on your linguistic skills, may be a bonus.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by jrau18

- Southern Caribbean (ABC islands, trinidad are obvious choices, but would you add in Cartagena and San Blas islands to this? The islands in Venezuela I think might be above my risk threshhold wrt pirates, from what I've been reading)
- Sea of Cortez
!

The easiest and most delightful cruising grounds in the world are in the Caribbean islands.
This does NOT include Trinidad, the ABCs or venuzealea . Reasons: wind, security, good water.

If u were heading off a few months earlier I would say St Martin and the BVIs, but in August I would suggest Grenada. Lots of boats for sale, a great cruising community, great feelings towards Americans and the biggest chandeliers both in situ: Budget Marine and Island Water World.

Then after the hurricane season you have the gems of the Caribbean each a day sail or quick over nighter to the north.

If it were me (and I say this as you mention a lack of experience) I would risk the season to buy in the BVIs or St Martin, and then high-tail it down to Grenada.
There are moorings and safe marinas in both bvis and St M but there is a bit of risk in being wiped out. Well, the boat anyway, you would have slipped into s nice secure hotel...

[Dulcesuenos]

Or go end of hurricane season leave To do Bahamas. Abacos and exumas are awesome cruising grounds.
Mark, I'd heard that Grenada was/ is over crowded with cruisers this season ...

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Mark, I'd heard that Grenada was/ is over crowded with cruisers this season ...

Dunno, I am in the USA this year.
But if its crowded there's a reason. Good facilities etc. And that's probably more important for the first year.

I was there in 2013 and it was busy but still great places to get away from everyone. But places can get crowded, like Hog Island, which I don't like anyway.

Btw "crowded" is nothing like the BVIs or Bahamas

[jrau18]

Update: I'm doing a week charter in November in the Caribbean. Being from the SF bay area, the sailing is quite a bit different, so this will be good exposure I think to help me decide where to go next August.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by jrau18

Update: I'm doing a week charter in November in the Caribbean. Being from the SF bay area, the sailing is quite a bit different, so this will be good exposure I think to help me decide where to go next August.

great choice! Where?

The only thing you will regret is making it only a week!

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by zboss

great choice! Where?

The only thing you will regret is making it only a week!

Grenadines. This will be a good tryout for my wife, she's never done any longer trips. For me it will be a good chance to have a first time sailing in warm waters. All of my experience has been in California, mostly Northern. It will be nice to be able to get somewhere without sailing through the night too: sleeping at anchor will sure beat trying to sleep in 4 hour stretches with 8 foot swells, like I'm accustomed to up here

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by jrau18

...

The window we're looking at is of course hurricane season, so that would seem to limit the more prudent choices of location. So far my top locations include:

- Southern Caribbean (ABC islands, trinidad are obvious choices, but would you add in Cartagena and San Blas islands to this? The islands in Venezuela I think might be above my risk threshhold wrt pirates, from what I've been reading)


...

I would not add Cartegena/San Blas for a beginner. The sea off Colombia can get really ugly and the reefs of the San Blas have claimed many boats. See thread here titled "San Blas Wrecks".

However most of these wrecks were due to imprudent choices on the part of the skippers. With cautious seamanship, and a copy of Bauhaus, the San Blas can be cruised safely.

True that there are no hurricanes in Panama, but your dates are in rainy season which brings light winds, lots of rain, and big lightening to the San Blas.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by jrau18

Thanks, I had toyed with the idea of the San Juans. Good to know it is a good place to build up some more experience.

Or try the opposite coast, New England is awesome in the summer time.

[Lepke]

I'd recommend BC like canyonbat. There's lots of sailboats and and great cruising in lower BC, San Juans and Puget Sound. Also you're near many great anchorages and weather havens. The exchange rate is about $1000 Canadian = $750 US. Your wife would have the enjoyment of cruising protected waters before you try the ocean. Compared to central Cal, it's very scenic, too.
Going south from Washington you will have the prevailing NW wind and seas going your way except when storms come thru. With a good eye on the weather, you could mostly daysail between ports although ocean anchorages are poor until you get further south. (Former Comm. Fisherman - worked these waters many years)
Pacific Boat Brokers Inc. has a great web site. I bought my current boat thru them and had the best buying experience of my life. I understand there is no duty on US or Canadian built boats. (Mine was a US build and total import expense was $12.)

[tbodine88]

Starting out, in the BVI is a good idea, but I found the choice of boats to buy limited. Perhaps a better idea is to buy in Florida, and sail the thorny path down. Many of the trips can be done in a day. A careful choice of weather can make it pleasant for the admiral.

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by tbodine88

Starting out, in the BVI is a good idea, but I found the choice of boats to buy limited. Perhaps a better idea is to buy in Florida, and sail the thorny path down. Many of the trips can be done in a day. A careful choice of weather can make it pleasant for the admiral.

Since I'll be starting in August, I'm nervous about the idea of buying in Florida and sailing down from there. I don't have a good feel for if it is doable to just jet down as fast as you can to the southern caribbean and hide if a hurricane is coming. I got the impression that would be risky? I understand maybe it isn't risky to our personal safety, since we could always wait out a hurricane on land, but risky to the boat, since a direct hit pretty much guarantees a lost boat unless you had time/space to have pulled it out. Is that understanding accurate?

I'm going to chat with the charter company when I go in November too, I'm sure they must have experience with these issues, since they have multiple locations in the caribbean and charter during the hurricane season, so surely they have a good feeling for the risk and what precautions can be taken.

[jrau18]

The week charter in the Grenadines went well. Wife enjoyed it. So for now we'll continue to practice sailing in the SF bay area until we get closer to our window.

[Steve Olson]

Originally Posted by jrau18

Thanks, I had toyed with the idea of the San Juans. Good to know it is a good place to build up some more experience.

I've spent several months cruising in the San Juans, Gulf Islands, and up through Desolation Sound. I would give this serious consideration. It's mainly protected cruising, and VERY beautiful!! There's a ton to see!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy49...ature=youtu.be

On a side note, I'll probably be selling my Hunter 34 this Summer - just a thought. Let me know if you have any questions about the option of sailing up here. =)