Upgrades to cross to the Caribbean

Mar 21, 2022
126
Bristol Corsair Tampa
Hi again...
Things I could do to my 1985 Pearson 303 to make it safer for Bahamas/Caribbean journey...
So go ahead rip it
 
Jan 11, 2014
12,715
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
There's a big difference between going to the Bahamas, a long day sail from Florida or to the Caribbean a multiday sail on the open ocean.

In the electronics realm, Radar, AIS transceiver, VHF, and navigation equipment almost essential. A life raft, ditch bag, and MOB retrieval equipment will hopefully be unnecessary.

Adequate tankage for water and fuel. Adequate storage for food and beverages (beer in the Bahamas is $60+ a case). Good ground tackle, meaning chain rode and a modern anchor (Rocna, Spade, Mantus, etc).

Spare parts for all essential equipment, head pump, water pumps for the diesel, V-belts, etc. Extra stuff and tools to repair what ever breaks.

One aspect of long cruises that is seldom mentioned is the increased wear on every thing. In a typical season we would spend about 30 days living aboard the boat. Last year we spent 330 days living aboard, that's over 10 times the usual amount of wear and tear in a single year. Stuff broke and wore out quite frequently.
 
Sep 24, 2021
386
Beneteau 35s5 Telegraph hrbr Thetis Island
Beyond the Bahamas keep in mind the BVIs are a 800+ NM bash to weather!!
 

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,758
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Hi again...
Things I could do to my 1985 Pearson 303 to make it safer for Bahamas/Caribbean journey...
So go ahead rip it
Learn to read the weather signs.
Study up on how to anchor safely.
Learn to sail in 20 plus knots of wind.
Learn to navigate.
Get new sails.
 

capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,905
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
You need a good, recently swung compass, a good set of binoculars (stabilized are best) some charts, the knowledge to plot your course on a chart and an inexpensive GPS. You will also need an adequate amount of water for a trip at least twice the length you might expect to be at sea. You should have a VHF plus an automatic and manual bilge pump, reef points as mentioned above, the best anchor and rode you can afford.
Cooking a hot meal aboard is always nice, but a bunch of cans would do. Oh, don't forget a couple of can openers, if you go that route, lol.
The trip from Florida to the Bahamas can be very difficult and dangerous so learn about the Gulfstream and weather. You can island hop through the Bahamas and set off from the T&C for the Dominican Republic and you would have just a few days at sea.
All the rest of the things mentioned above are nice to have, but none are absolutely necessary. Safety equipment is as you wish, but man has been sailing for thousands of years without that stuff, and if you are confident that you and your boat are capable of the voyage.....
I would suggest you learn your boat really well before you set off, going out sailing in the very worst weather once in a while to see if you and your boat can take it. But, most of all you must have a lot of common sense.
 
Aug 19, 2021
505
Hunter 280 White House Cove Marina
The Caribbean is the Caribbean Sea, pretty well defined by charts, Extends from the Windward Isles to Central America. The Bahamas are not in the Caribbean Sea.
Sorry, I quoted you instead of asking The_sailing_Pelican.

I was in the US Navy and stationed on the east coast for my career. Norfolk, VA, Charleston, SC, and even spent 3 years in Puerto Rico. Like you described, I do not thing people have a good grasp of how large the Caribbean Sea is. Hundreds of thousands of square miles of oceans and almost the same amount of islands.

I think a person's planning on going from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago is way different that planning of going from Florida to The Bahama Islands. For reference. The distance from Miami Fl. to Port of Spain, Trinidad is 1600 miles flying for reference. Were as the distance from Miami Fl. to Freeport, Grand Bahama is 110 miles.

I think both trips are doable, you just need a different plan for each.
 
Jul 27, 2011
5,134
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Nobody has mentioned installing an autopilot. For me that would be an essential piece of gear even with a crew aboard. Should prioritize your acquisitions,.

If you wish a “shake down” voyage, consider Tampa to the Dry Tortugas and return. It’s about 180 n.mi. one way I believe if going directly there. Might “hop” down the FL coast to Ft Myers before heading across. It’s an overnight trip so you’ll find out what you need for that. Can be rough but does not have to be. Many folks make the run in early October but if a cold front catches you you’ll regret being out there in the GOM. Garden Key anchorage is open to the west.

Should practice steering by compass instead of by a chart plotter. Not an easy thing to do for long stretches. You might need to do it.
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,469
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Since the OP is asking about safety I would treat myself to a rig inspection or replacement. And it seems to me many a voyage comes to ruination over steering issues. So an inspection of the steering mechanism and a provision for an emergency steering mechanism are necessary. I would want an autopilot too. That would be a below deck hydraulic one.
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,578
Hunter 27_75-84 Sandusky Harbor Marina, Ohio
While I have chartered in the British Virgins, I have not transmitted a boat there from Florida. But I thought you could “island hop” through the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico to the Virgins in the Caribbean. This would involve some overnight sails, but nothing longer. Out of hurricane season, I would think that preparations for your boat would be similar to cruising the Great Lakes. An alternative would be to sail a route by these islands, stopping in selected harbors, and viewing the rest as ports of refuge only if needed. Of course, you have to prepare for checking in to foreign ports, but that is true of any Caribbean cruise.

The best guide for preparing your boat for blue water sailing may be “The Pacific Cup Handbook: A Guide to Preparing for the West Marine Pacific Cup Yacht Race” by Jim and Sue Corenman. You don’t have to implement all their checklist items, but it will help you to ask all the right questions.

Fair winds and following seas,
 
Last edited:
Jan 11, 2014
12,715
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
While I have chartered in the British Virgins, I have not transmitted a boat there from Florida. But I thought you could “island hop” through the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico to the Virgins in the Caribbean. This would involve some overnight sails, but nothing longer. Out of hurricane season, I would think that preparations for your boat would be similar to cruising the Great Lakes. An alternative would be to sail a route by these islands, stopping in selected harbors, and viewing the rest as ports of refuge only if needed. Of course, you have to prepare for checking in to foreign ports, but that is true of any Caribbean cruise.

The best guide for preparing your boat for blue water sailing may be “The Pacific Cup Handbook: A Guide to Preparing for the West Marine Pacific Cup Yacht Race” by Jim and Sue Corenman. You don’t have to implement all their checklist items, but it will help you to ask all the right questions.

Fair winds and following seas,
The path you describe is known as the "Thorny Path" as it is up wind and there are is at least one really dicey section between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the Mona Pass. The other route is I65, head east to 65° E and turn south.
 
Sep 7, 2022
66
Captiva Yachts Sanibel 18 Lake Wylie
Sounds like a fun adventure you're planning. My two cents of what I would take, if I did this trip, which I have not (hope no one has mentioned these yet, and please correct me if I'm wrong): Lifesling and hauling tackle, re-arming kits for self-inflating PFDs, extra line, duct tape, sea anchor, floating VHF handheld radio, Covid tests, sunscreen, antacids, eyedrops, wool hat, wool socks, synthetic clothes, (I'd leave most cotton clothing home, as even in the tropics hypothermia can happen), replace all nav lights, courtesy flags for countries you're entering, quarantine flag, distress flag, Farady cage for electronics during lightning storms (or use microwave if you have it), pens, pencils, erasers, paper charts as well as electronic ones, fishing tackle. Re-do nonskid on deck. Watch YouTube videos about emergencies at sea. Check the wind frequently beforehand on something like Windy.com so you can learn the wind patterns.

Do a visualization exercise where you ask yourself what you'd do if certain parts on the boat broke. Drill for emergencies. Practice MOB. Trail a polypropylene line behind the boat, maybe with a small float tied to it, in the open ocean in case you fall overboard, if you're solo. Make sure your liferaft certification is current. Add bilge high-water alarms if you need to. Keep boat hull plugs right where you might need them, in compartments, not stored in the back of a locker. Operate with a big safety margin for error. Know what to do if you lose steering. Know where your thru-hulls are and consider replacing them. Consider making a Hudson's Bay start, where you leave in the afternoon, so you can return easily in the morning if you forget anything. Take reading material to take your mind off sailing for a few minutes a day! Have fun.