Too Late in Season for BVI's?

[Dreamcat]

Was considering heading from Fort Lauderdale to BVIs next month (May). Has anyone done it this late in season? Was going to follow VanSant path but curious has anyone done it faster with another route from FLL, in conditions typical for this season? We draw 6' and boat is blue water boat. Thanks much for all thoughts.

[Mark Johnson]

We sailed our 34'er non stop from Georgetown Bahamas to Boqueron PR in 5 days. (Out 3 down 2) The first few days were rough, but with a good boat it is totally doable. You could do a version of this, and the BVIs are a day hop from there.

The other options take a LONG time by comparison. If you spend H season down island, monitor the weather and hover near islands with good H options, like thick mangroves that you can go into and tie off.

Good luck...

Mark

[bvimatelot]

Originally Posted by Dreamcat

Was considering heading from Fort Lauderdale to BVIs next month (May). Has anyone done it this late in season? Was going to follow VanSant path but curious has anyone done it faster with another route from FLL, in conditions typical for this season? We draw 6' and boat is blue water boat. Thanks much for all thoughts.

Perfectly doable as a "straight Shot": Go up a bit then through the NE/NW Providence Channel, get as much Easting as you can (like a couple of days!) then free off and beam reach down.

Going through the islands, whilst very nice, is going to take time and will put you into hurricane season. I wouldnt worry until late August, about hurricanes, but your insurers might!

Tony

[osirissail]

The classical "Thorny Path" can be rushed and done in 2 or 3 months. Or you can do the I-65 route which is head east/northeast staying in the westerlies until you get to Longitude 65 west and then turn south to the Virgins. Reportedly that is a week to 10 days on average.
- - The classical path through the Bahamas, T& C, D.R. P.R. to the Virgins is extremely variable due to weather and your ability to motor-sail up wind and up current.
- - Doing it in May is not too late although you are crowding the probability curve of Tropical Storms. Historically the majority of the storms start the season - Jun-Aug in the western Caribbean Basin and then switch to the Atlantic storms Aug-Nov. Some years the Caribbean gets clobbered and other years few if any storms threaten the islands. Mother Nature does as Mother Nature wants. You can go to: Unisys Weather
and look up the Atlantic Storms for the last 160 years or last 15 years for detailed information. After that you "place your bet and take your chances."