Newcomer on Board

[Tarquah]

Good evening to all. Here you have a newcomer on board.

My husband and I (both young retired 59 and 60) purchased a 1979 Moody 36CC last June [our previous boat was a 21 footer, Samurai] and did some sailing on the Spanish coast this summer. Right now we are reviewing and fixing everything that is not in order so as to be able to sail next Spring to Sicily and the Greek Islands accompanied by 17 other sailboats. We shall be sailing from Mahon in Menorca on the 20th of May and should be back around the 20th of August.

If everything goes well we will be in Spain just long enough to oversee the boat so as to be ready to sail across the Atlantic mid November to spend the winter in the Caribbean in Spring we want to go up the American coast, then up the St Laurence River to the Great Lakes.

After that, we have diverging opinions:
He wants go come back to Spain sail North [I believe it will be too cold and dangerous]
I would like to go back South and cross the Panama Canal and spend winter on the Pacific Coast. [He thinks sail down the American coast no is an easy job]

We are open to opinions and comments as we do not know much about sail in that part of the world.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Tarquah

Good evening to all. Here you have a newcomer on board.

My husband and I (both young retired 59 and 60) purchased a 1979 Moody 36CC last June [our previous boat was a 21 footer, Samurai] and did some sailing on the Spanish coast this summer. Right now we are reviewing and fixing everything that is not in order so as to be able to sail next Spring to Sicily and the Greek Islands accompanied by 17 other sailboats. We shall be sailing from Mahon in Menorca on the 20th of May and should be back around the 20th of August.

If everything goes well we will be in Spain just long enough to oversee the boat so as to be ready to sail across the Atlantic mid November to spend the winter in the Caribbean in Spring we want to go up the American coast, then up the St Laurence River to the Great Lakes.

After that, we have diverging opinions:
He wants go come back to Spain sail North [I believe it will be too cold and dangerous]
I would like to go back South and cross the Panama Canal and spend winter on the Pacific Coast. [He thinks sail down the American coast no is an easy job]

We are open to opinions and comments as we do not know much about sail in that part of the world.

Hi there Tarquah and first of all Welcome to CF....
Ok I figure maybe it'd be a better idea for you to go direct from the Carib to Bermuda then north to the St Laurence... this will save you a lot of time for cruising the Lakes...
Come the Fall you'll find a lot of 'Snow Geese' heading South for the winter... the normal route for many is down the Intra Coastal Waterway... a mostly sheltered route that will take you from New Jersey all the way down to Florida... Intracoastal Waterway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
You'll probably meet up with some Canucks who are doing the trip sooner or later in your travels up there so buddy boating is quite possible... many do it every year..
Crossing the Atlantic West to East in the Autumn early Winter is a pretty bumpy proposition and I'd recommend if he does not want the Pacific option then spend time visiting Cuba and other Islands you've missed because of time restrictions... there's no way you can do the Islands justice in just 4 - 5 months...
Then head back to Europe end of May early June direct via the Azores... give Bermuda a miss... its in the storm track and though it breaks the trip its not really worth the possible hassle from weather... once over the Stream the winds are mainly Southerly... I've done it solo in 21 days to Faial from St Martin... and that was in a 34ftr... spend a couple of months cruising there... its lovely... then head for Portugal from Terciera.. an 8 day run with winds mainly on the beam....
Enjoy the Adventure Folks... you'll have a ball I'm sure

[s/v Moondancer]

We have sailed the entire Caribbean and the East Coast of US up to the St Lawrence during the last 3 years. Caribbean is generally easier than the US coast but for a Moody and competent sailors Canada is a lovely place to visit. However, because of the cold my wife much prefers the Caribbean.

For hurricane season you need to be either south of the 'hurricane belt' or north of it...we have spent one season in Trinidad, one season in Columbia and Panama and one season in Canada.

Good luck and either plan works well but do not miss the Caribbean, warm and 15 knots on the beam with lovely anchorages is not to be missed.

[Southern Star]

Welcome to the forum Tarqua and congratulations on the new boat. The November crossing to the Caribbean and a May departure to Canada should be fine. Spending the hurricane season in the Great Lakes will be safe and will provide some interesting cruising grounds. In October you can depart Lake Ontario at Oswego (taking your mast down) and take a leisurely trip up the Oswego and Erie Barge canals to the Hudson River to New York City. Get your mast up and then head down to the Chesepeake to wait our hurricane season.

Yes, you could take the ICW - but you will find the sail from Florida to St. Martin to be largely upwind. You may be better to head offshore to Bermuda and then down to St. Martin, or...? That would give you some more time in the Caribbean. Alternatively, you could head up the St.Lawrence to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and cross to the Azores (or head offshore from New York to the Azores) and back to Europe, although I would be leery about the North Atlantic in the fall.

In any event, keep us posted on your plans. I'm sure you will find many here who have local knowledge of any place you should choose to visit and who will be prepared to help.

Cheers!

Brad

[Tom and Maje]

Hi Tarqua,

Welcome to the forum.

Maje

[Tarquah]

Thanks everybody

I appreciate and will take good note of what you have shared with me. I shall be around this forum quiet a bit collecting information and putting in whatever information I have that can be handy.

By the way my name is Sandra and my husband is Carlos

[boatman61]

Southern.... your suggestion is very valid for heading back to St Martin.. but I figured as I'd recommended they dash Nth via Bermuda to get the most of the Lakes... the ICW would give them a leisurely cruise to see the East Coast in all its splendour and follow the turning leaf's Southwards...
Then Cuba, Caymans, Jamaica and then South to the Abaco's and mybe Sth America before heading Nth Island hopping to St Martin.... assuming Carlos is Spanish.. (wants to go back to Spain) time in the 'Spanish Caribbean may be to his liking...

[Tarquah]

Your right boatman, Carlos is Spanish and speaking his language after battling with English and French for some time would give him a break.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
You've gotten some great advice so far.
Good to have you here.
kind regards,

[jim_thomsen]

Welcome Sandra,

We crossed from Europe to the Caribbean with the plan to return to Europe. But we kept meeting people who told use we would love the south Pacific, so we changed our plans and spent last year in the Pacific. It is wonderful and we will probably stay here a couple of years, just going back and forth from New Zealand to the islands.

So, maybe it's best to make no plans beyond arriving in the Caribbean. Enjoy the sun and the wonderful people and then decide which way to go. You're cruising, there is no rush to decide.

[Tarquah]

Thanks for your welcome SkiprJohn.

I understand you very well jim, I've been in the Caribbean a few times before on vacations but never with our boat.

We are actually planning on going to Canada to visit family and friends, that's the only way my Mom will ever come aboard.

[frank_f]

Hi Tarquah and welcome to CF. Sounds like a great adventure you have planned.

When you come to here to Canada, hopefully you'll be able to find some place that isn't flooded, snowed under or freezing cold

[Tarquah]

You know frank, I left Canada some years ago becuase I had enough of the snow and freezing cold.