# Off to the Virgins on Monday or Tuesday or ...



## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

We are leaving Chesapeake Bay for St Thomas as soon as we get a weather window from Monday onward. The estimable Valiente will be one of the crew. We are looking forward to the trip. It has been a long time coming and a great many hours (not to mention a great many boat bucks) have gone into prepping Ainia back to her former glory as a trans-Atlantic vet and Bermuda Race entrant (back in the day when the term racer-cruiser meant something).

Wish us luck.


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## Greenflash35 (Dec 1, 2008)

Way kewl, and weather dances for y'all. We're preparing Green Flash for a Caribbean Circumnavigation starting in a year or two. Are you turning south from Bermuda or taking the Gentleman's route?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Bon Voyage! Hope you'll be connected enough to keep us posted!!


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

*Going offshore*



Greenflash35 said:


> Way kewl, and weather dances for y'all. We're preparing Green Flash for a Caribbean Circumnavigation starting in a year or two. Are you turning south from Bermuda or taking the Gentleman's route?


We are doing the aim for Bermuda and miss routine. We sailed to Bermuda in June and may be back there in the early summer if we go to Europe as planned so probably would not stop this time unless there is a good reason to do so.


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## Vasco (Sep 24, 2006)

Good luck. Have a safe voyage.


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## aerie (Jul 14, 2000)

I'll be heading south the same time with the Caribbean 1500. Where are you waiting for your weather window?

Where are you planning to cruise after you reach STT? I'll be cruising in my own boat, Gaiamar, after we arrive in the BVI. I will watch for Ainia this season as I explore the Leewards and the Virgins.


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## speciald (Mar 27, 2007)

We leave Baltimore on Thursday for Hampton to join up with the 1500 - Scheduled to leave early next week for Tortola. From there we will go to St. Maarten for the Winter. We will be in Oyster Pond for most of our time there using Captain Olivers as our base for cruising. We intend to cruise between Puerto Rico and Antigua this season.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Is Speciald the name of your boat?

It will keep my eyes open for your boats this winter. I am currently in Toronto but the boat is in Mobjack Bay. We are returning to the boat on Sunday and can leave any day from Monday onward. If the weather is not cooperating we might move closer to the entrance to Chesapeake Bay to leave from.

It is interesting looking at the 96 hr (and longer) weather forecasts to try to get a sense of when we can go. There is a remarkable low over southern Hudson's Bay on the 96 (Atlantic Briefing Package) with a central pressure of 966 mb. Lets see, that is Saturday morning. Give it a day or so to move eastward (including the stationary front across the southeastern US) and it might be a go for Monday or Tuesday.

Our plans for the winter are pretty fluid. I think we are going to spent a couple of weeks in the USVI and BVI and then head to the Grenadines for a time and then slowly work northward in the spring.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

We'll keep an eye out around Antigua/Barbuda late February if you think you'll be that far then...... Have a great trip!


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

I just bought a bunch of AAAs for my headlamp, Bruce, and put new ink in the printer so I can run off a few sextant calculation sheets.

See you Thursday.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

*Watching weather maps*

Checking weather maps is becoming very serious now with only a few days until possible departure. Looks like a likely departure window on Monday that should get people passed the Gulf Stream in good shape. Very large high pressure area coming in that would mean a lot of motoring or ghosting along. The latter is not a good idea when you have 1500 nm to go.

Using the NOAA weather maps and also Passageweather.com which is better for seeing how wind/wave patterns are changing (although it would be nice to see the fronts on their maps - which I assume are GRIBs).

A safe and fun voyage to all those going south this week.


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

Enjoy your trip. Maybe we'll cross paths when you get here.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Do you have a Spot? It would be fun to track your progress. A friend just left Montauk 2 days ago, bound for the BVI in s/v Intemperance

38.77834,-70.69835 - Google Maps


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## irishlad (Aug 8, 2009)

enjoy your trip? whats the weayther like in the AVI and BVI's like now?


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## aerie (Jul 14, 2000)

*SPOT personal tracker*



Bene505 said:


> Do you have a Spot?


I have a Spot tracker and here is the link to my share page:

SPOT Shared Page

I will be cruising between Puerto Rico and Dominica this season on Gaiamar. Sailing to the BVI from Virginia on Joy For All.

Gail


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

weather should be starting to be perfect in virgins about now---i cannot wait to get there--but i have to wait until jan,.....lol......then it will be more perfect !!!!


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

irishlad said:


> enjoy your trip? whats the weayther like in the AVI and BVI's like now?


Most folks usually refer to the area as the BVIs and the USVIs but no worries.

The weather is forecast to be like this---------

Tonight: Scattered showers, mainly after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. East northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday: Scattered showers, mainly before 11am. Partly cloudy, with a high near 85. East wind between 7 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday Night: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Northeast wind between 13 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: Isolated showers before noon. Partly cloudy, with a high near 86. East northeast wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday Night: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. East northeast wind between 9 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 86. East northeast wind between 10 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday Night: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. East northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 85. East wind between 11 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. East northeast wind between 11 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday Night: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 20%.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Good luck on your trip.

We have friends doing the Carribean1500 for the second time. Look for them Rosemary and Bill in a Sundeer 62 named "Crazy Horse"

Dave


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## speciald (Mar 27, 2007)

Name of the Boat is Special Delivery. Looks right now like there will be 10-20 knots apparent with 7-9 ft seas most of the way with MaxSea predicting a course close to the rum line rather than going as far East as usual.


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## aerie (Jul 14, 2000)

*Caribbean 1500 boats arriving in BVI*

I just talked to Rosemary from Crazy Horse this morning on the radio after we both arrived in the BVI in record time. I first met Rosemary and Bill two years ago when Joy For All was rafted off Crazy Horse in Bermuda. While the faster boats are safely in the BVI, the slower boats are still out there, and their radio reports suggest they are dealing with a lot more wind than we saw, like many days of 25 to 30 knots with higher gusts. Joy For All managed an average speed of 7.7 knots, with only 8 hours of motoring. A very fast passage, but now I'm glad to be sleeping in a bed that is not moving!


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Gail, thanks for the news about Rosemary and Bill. We have been following them and you on the website. They are planning a trip to circumnavigate the world.

Please tell them Donna and Dave from Haleakula send them our best wishes.

Dave


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

Killarney,

How was your voyage? Hopefully uneventful -- but we'd still love to hear a report when you have time.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

FarCry said:


> "Most folks usually refer to the area as the BVIs and the USVIs but no worries........"
> there is more than merely us and b virgin islands to the term "the virgins" friend---i am inclusive of the rest of the bunch as well.....look it up....i have been there and i have relatives who owned there...for many years......
> but no worries....that also is relative to the socioeconomic level and the locale of your upbringing......


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## scottbr (Aug 14, 2007)

JohnRPollard said:


> Killarney,
> 
> How was your voyage? Hopefully uneventful -- but we'd still love to hear a report when you have time.


John, check out his blog in the meantime..... On Ania


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

Zeehag if you were to go back and read the post I was replying to you would see that someone was asking about the AVI. Since you've been here, and have relatives that owned here, have you ever known the area to be called the AVI? I assume the poster was using that as an acronym for the American Virgin Islands instead of the specific area correctly called the US Virgin Islands.

Yesterday I just got back from 8 days sailing around the Spanish Virgins (SVI) with friends. Over the past few years I have become quite familiar with my limited local sailing area which runs from Anegada to St Croix to Fajardo and most of the area in between. Unfortunately I fail to understand how my "socioeconomic level or locale of my upbringing" is relative to my use of commonly used terminology in reference to the local geographical area in which I live and sail in. I did, and will continue to share, what limited knowledge I have attained to assist others when possible. Just like when I called you on your cell phone to see what assistance I could provide for you when you got yourself stranded without the means to fly back home from a boat in Christmas Cove, ironically around Christmas time, two years ago. Yes, that was me that called to help you!!!! Do you remember?

Have a happy Thanksgiving. I am glad you made it back home safely from that trip into the Virgins.



zeehag said:


> FarCry said:
> 
> 
> > "Most folks usually refer to the area as the BVIs and the USVIs but no worries........"
> ...


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

FarCry said:


> Zeehag if you were to go back and read the post I was replying to you would see that someone was asking about the AVI. Since you've been here, and have relatives that owned here, have you ever known the area to be called the AVI? I assume the poster was using that as an acronym for the American Virgin Islands instead of the specific area correctly called the US Virgin Islands.
> 
> Yesterday I just got back from 8 days sailing around the Spanish Virgins (SVI) with friends. Over the past few years I have become quite familiar with my limited local sailing area which runs from Anegada to St Croix to Fajardo and most of the area in between. Unfortunately I fail to understand how my "socioeconomic level or locale of my unbringing" is relative to my use of commonly used terminology in reference to the local geographical area in which I live and sail in. I did, and will continue to share, what limited knowledge I have attained to assist others when possible. Just like when I called you on your cell phone to see what assistance I could provide for you when you got yourself stranded without the means to fly back home from a boat in Christmas Cove, ironically around Christmas time, two years ago. Yes, that was me that called to help you!!!! Do you remember?
> 
> ...


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

*Currently in Nevis*

Sorry for not replying sooner but internet access has been not very good most times and I have focussed more on my blog (although not entirely up to date there either).

For going south rookies I think our passage worked out well. According to Herb (Southbound II) there have been very few weather windows for making the passage. The days before we left had 20 knots or so into the Gulf Stream so not a good idea to leave; the boats that left the day after we did (and the day after the Caribbean 1500) ended up with 48 hours of gales and the three that were using Herb's services went into Bermuda for a rest (which is not a bad thing at all because Bermuda is so nice). The only problem was that the weather stayed bad and they were still there a week later.

We followed the traditional go east to 66W and then go south routing and it did not really pay off this year. Boats that followed the rhumb line did much better overall. We really pushed hard to avoid the galesthat were developing north of us and had four days of reaching with winds 25 to 35 knots but then we crossed a ridge and were 400 miles from St Thomas and it was directly (as in exactly to windward) and only about 10 knots. These winds lasted for four days and really slowed us down. At no time did we have normal trade wind conditions.

The boat did very well in the heavy stuff (only used reefed #2 and main even though the staysail and even trysail were rigged on deck). When it was windiest we wanted to fast so that the even nastier stuff coming did not catch us. We even did fine in the light air beating considering we weigh something like 35 000 pounds and did not have a #1. The centerboard really helped.

Did an overnight passage from Virgin Gorda to St Kitts that was as hard on the wind as we could manage (even had a bit of a motor at the end). Winds were basically from the east. Going to Monserrat on Monday (volcano has been active this week so that may change) and then Guadeloupe. Our plan is to pick a friend who is flying in to St Vincent on the 10th of Dec. After that we really will slow down - after all, I have lots of varnish to keep up


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

Glad to hear all is well. And congratulations on successfully completing a challenging passage!

Thanks for the update, too.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Thanks for the report... you're making very good time - it will be time to relax soon, alright!


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

Thanks for the update, enjoy the rest of your voyage.


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## aerie (Jul 14, 2000)

*Caribbean 1500 passage notes*

I was crewing on Joy For All in the Caribbean 1500, and we had our best and fastest passage yet. I was expecting a rough Gulf Stream crossing after several days of north wind, but it turned out to be pretty benign. Of course we were one of the faster boats (a Farr 50) so we were out in front of the heavy wind. The boats in the back of the fleet saw 35 knots for several days. I wrote up an account of our passage and posted it on my blog: Shanti's blog | YachtPals.com. After cruising the BVI on my own boat (which is based there) I left the BVI a week ago and sailed nonstop (47 hours) to Dominica. Tomorrow I'm heading north to Guadeloupe then Antigua. I have a Spot tracker, and have been posting passage notes on Spot Adventure pages. It's really cool with photos keyed to when I took them, displayed on a google satellite image. Check it out! Singlehanded BVI to Dominica passage - Sailing - Spot

Gail


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