Sailing from Curacao to Florida this time of year?

[schmidla]

I'm just about to close on purchasing a Tayana 42 located in Curacao, and would like to get it up to the gulf side of Florida (Tampa area).

Is doing that trip this time of year going to be a PITA? Looks like it'd be an upwind trip to get to Puerto Rico, then downwind all the way to the Keys. Then up the coast of FL?

I'm also searching for a captain to aid in the delivery trip (for which I'd like to be crew) - and they all seem to have different opinions.

Just thought I'd check on here to get some additional opinions on doing that trip this time of year - ideally I'd love to leave soon if that is at all realistic.

Thanks!

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by schmidla

I'm just about to close on purchasing a Tayana 42 located in Curacao, and would like to get it up to the gulf side of Florida (Tampa area).

Is doing that trip this time of year going to be a PITA? Looks like it'd be an upwind trip to get to Puerto Rico, then downwind all the way to the Keys. Then up the coast of FL?

I'm also searching for a captain to aid in the delivery trip (for which I'd like to be crew) - and they all seem to have different opinions.

Just thought I'd check on here to get some additional opinions on doing that trip this time of year - ideally I'd love to leave soon if that is at all realistic.

Thanks!

I would prefer to aim at the west point of Haiti and go through the Windward Passage. If you use weather planning software like Windy you can pick a weather window where you get okay wind in the passage or motor through with no wind, then downwind along the north coast of Cuba.

This time of the year you have the Northers messing things up, maybe it’s better to wait until they stop but don’t wait too long or the thunderstorms start. We had some bad thunderstorms in the Windward Passage and the Bahamas, as well as Florida and the Gulf.

You have possible stops in Ile a Vache Haiti, in Jamaica and in Great Inagua Bahamas.

[PippaB]

Why PR? Curaçao - Windward Passage - Fl takes out much of the upwind work and is probably how I’d tackle it as a delivery (i.e. not having tourist stops in mind). Otherwise the key is making the easting, you can wait for the wind to go E-SE a bit and then work east as much as possible, or work east along the SA coast before turning north. For either of those I’d probably prefer a few months from now.