Departure

• The Sailing Yacht SeaLife will depart on February 19 from Marsh Harbour Boat Yard, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas. (242 367 5205).
• Marsh Harbour Airport has many daily flights from and to Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.
• Besides the major airlines, there are several island commuter airlines, such as Island Express, Air Sunshine
• USAir has specials to Nassau, and Southern Air or Bahamas Air have short flights to Marsh Harbour.

• Cruising Guides: See "Charts and Crusing Guides". In the Bahamas Harry Kline's Yachtman's Cruising Guide to the Bahamas.
• For sailing strategies we are following the advice of "A Gentleman's Guide to Passages South":
• In order to sail in comfort and safety against the easterly trades we will use a lot of night lees and morning calms.
• We will also depart very early on shorter passages to arrive in time for a morning dive and a full day at the destination.
• Since we know the Bahamas, we will only make three stops there.
• In the Dominican Republic we will make one major land excursion. Then tug the coast in morning and night sails.
• We will "rush" in short morning sails along the South Coast of Puerto Rico and the Spanish Virgin Islands.
• We will take only one week to cross the Virgin Islands.
• Since the Windward and Leeward Islands are the absolute sailing and diving paradise, we will spend more time there.
• We will dive with all the better dive dive shops, up to 60, at some times up to 2 a day.
• Speed against waves can be 5 to 5.5 kn, in close reaches 5.5 to 6.5. For planning we use 5.5 kn for the direct route. Fastest is 7.2kn.
• Tacking would increase the distance and time by up to 50 %, but chosing the right tacks and some motorsailing will let us make 5 kn.
• The fuel tank holds about 100 gall, plus 5 gall spare tank. Fuel usage is 3 g p.h. at max RPM. Motorsailing at 20 RPM: 1.7 gph.
• Range at speed of 5.5 kn, into heavy seas, 33 hours =
• There are small airports everywhere. The bigger airport hubs are mentioned in bold.
• Delays can be caused by weather or repairs. In the worst case ever we had to wait for 2 weeks at one port for better weather.
• The trade winds increase and decrease in 2-week cycles. Cold fronts can delay us in the North.
• Repairs have delayed us about once a month by 1 up to 5 days in a port, about once per month, but now we are better equipped than ever.
• Delays can also be caused by staying at certain islands longer than expected.

• Nobeltec - from TC to DR
• C-map - Salt Cay to Gorda Sound
• Maptech - Gorda Sound to Grenada

• Bahamas: "Yachtman's Guide to the Bahamas and
• Turks & Caicos" by Harry Kline
• Turks & Caicos to US Virgin Islands: "The Gentleman's
• Guide to Passages South" by Bruce Van Sant.
• Virgin Islands: "Yachtman's Guide to the Virgin Islands" by Tropic Isle Publishers.
• Leeward and Windward Islands: "Sailors Guide to the…
• ...Leeward Islands" by Chris Doyle.
• ...Windward Islands" by same.
• And others.