FLORIDA TO PANAMA

FLORIDA TO PANAMA

FLORIDA TO PANAMA VIA THE WINDWARD PASSAGE

  1. Distance: Approximately 1,300โ€“1,500 nautical miles, depending on stops.
  2. Sailing Time: 12โ€“18 days non-stop, but most cruisers spend several weeks exploring.
  3. Best Season: November to May (Caribbean dry season, avoiding hurricane risks).

Key Waypoints and Recommended Stops

1. Bahamas

  • Route Options: Cross the Gulf Stream from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini or sail to Grand Bahama (West End) as your first stop.
  • Highlights:
    • Bimini: Gateway to the Bahamas, with crystal-clear waters.
    • Exumas: Stunning chain of islands with protected anchorages and excellent snorkeling.
    • Georgetown (Great Exuma): A cruiser hub for provisioning and socializing.
  • Navigation Note: Shallow waters and coral reefs require careful planning and daylight navigation.

2. Turks and Caicos

  • Why Stop: Providenciales offers great provisioning and marina facilities, while the surrounding waters boast incredible diving and fishing.
  • Anchorages: Sapodilla Bay (calm and protected).
  • Tip: Check customs and immigration requirements for stopping here.

3. The Windward Passage (Between Cuba and Haiti)

  • Why Sail This Route:
    • Offers a direct and open-water route to the western Caribbean.
    • Favorable NE trade winds often provide a beam reach or downwind sailing.
  • Navigation Note:
    • The Windward Passage is wide and deep, but currents and winds can funnel through, causing rough seas in adverse weather.
    • Timing your passage with settled conditions is key.

4. Jamaica (Optional Stop)

  • Key Ports: Port Antonio (Errol Flynn Marina) or Montego Bay.
  • Why Stop: Jamaica offers a mix of vibrant culture, beautiful landscapes, and secure marinas.
  • Tip: Port Antonio is particularly cruiser-friendly and a good place to rest and refuel.

5. Cayman Islands (Optional Stop)

  • Why Stop: Grand Cayman is a great place for provisioning, diving, and resting in protected anchorages like Seven Mile Beach.
  • Navigation Note: Anchorages can be exposed to northerlies, so plan accordingly.

6. Providencia or San Andrรฉs (Colombia)

  • Why Stop: These islands are gems of the Caribbean with friendly locals, calm anchorages, and excellent snorkeling.
  • Tips:
    • Providencia is quieter and more laid-back.
    • San Andrรฉs is better for provisioning and fuel.

7. Bocas del Toro, Panama

  • Why Stop: A cruiser favorite for its protected waters, vibrant culture, and nearby provisioning. Bocas also serves as a great staging area for preparing to approach the Panama Canal.

Key Considerations

  • Weather:
    • NE trade winds dominate; youโ€™ll likely enjoy consistent downwind or beam-reach sailing.
    • Watch for cold fronts coming off the U.S. that can affect the Windward Passage and surrounding areas.
  • Currents:
    • The Gulf Stream runs northward and must be crossed carefully from Fort Lauderdale.
    • The Windward Passage has strong currents; timing your passage is crucial.
  • Customs and Immigration:
    • Check entry requirements for the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. Each country has different procedures for arriving yachts.
  • Fuel and Provisioning:
    • Stock up in major ports like Nassau, Georgetown (Exumas), or Providenciales.
    • Fuel may be limited or expensive in smaller islands.

























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































FLORIDA TO PANAMA VIA THE YUCATAN CHANNEL / AKAย  AGAINST THE GULFSTREAM

Route Overview

  1. Distance: Approximately 1,200-1,400 nautical miles, depending on the route and stops.
  2. Sailing Time: 10โ€“14 days of continuous sailing, though most cruisers take 4โ€“6 weeks or more to enjoy stops along the way.
  3. Best Season: November to May (dry season in the Caribbean) to avoid hurricane risks and enjoy favorable trade winds.

Key Waypoints and Recommended Stops

1. Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

  • Why Stop: Explore vibrant Miami and provision in a well-stocked city. Biscayne Bay offers a protected anchorage.
  • Activities: Visit South Beach, the art deco district, and local marine supply stores.
  • Tip: Avoid the busy shipping channels around Miami.

2. Florida Keys

  • Marinas and Anchorages: Key Largo, Marathon (Boot Key Harbor), and Key West.
  • Why Stop: Experience the laid-back atmosphere, excellent snorkeling, and fishing.
  • Navigation Note: Shallow waters require careful charting.

3. Dry Tortugas, FL

  • Why Stop: Remote and stunning national park with pristine beaches, snorkeling, and historical Fort Jefferson.
  • Provisioning: Limited; ensure you’re well-stocked.
  • Navigation Note: Anchorages can be rolly; watch for weather.

4. Isla Mujeres, Mexico

  • Why Stop: A great international port of entry with vibrant local culture, clear waters, and a popular yacht destination.
  • Tip: Ensure all paperwork for clearing into Mexico is ready in advance.

5. Belize Barrier Reef

  • Why Stop: Explore the worldโ€™s second-largest barrier reef, with stunning coral islands like Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker.
  • Navigation Note: Reef navigation requires caution and good daylight.

6. Rio Dulce, Guatemala (Optional Detour)

  • Why Stop: A unique inland river experience with protected anchorages and lush jungle surroundings.
  • Tip: The entry through Livingston requires careful timing due to shallow depths.

7. Bay Islands, Honduras

  • Key Stops: Roatรกn, Utila, and Guanaja.
  • Why Stop: Excellent diving and vibrant local culture.
  • Navigation Note: Monitor local weather and safety conditions.

8. Providencia or San Andrรฉs (Colombia)

  • Why Stop: Quaint islands with a mix of Colombian and Caribbean charm. Friendly locals and stunning waters.
  • Tip: Ideal for provisioning and enjoying shore leave.

9. Bocas del Toro, Panama

  • Why Stop: A cruiser-friendly haven with vibrant expat communities, calm waters, and nearby provisioning.
  • Tip: Use this as a base for staging before heading toward the Panama Canal.

Approaching the Panama Canal

  • Balboa or Colรณn: Two key entry points for the Panama Canal.
  • Shelter Bay Marina (near Colรณn): A popular choice for preparing to transit the canal. Offers good facilities, provisioning, and access to canal agents.
  • Panama City: If entering from the Pacific side, La Playita Marina or Flamenco Marina are excellent staging points.

Key Considerations

  • Weather: Monitor the Caribbean trade winds (typically NE) and avoid adverse conditions such as strong northerlies in the Yucatรกn Channel.
  • Paperwork: Ensure up-to-date documentation, including passports, vessel registration, insurance, and any required cruising permits.
  • Fuel and Provisioning: Stock up in larger ports like Fort Lauderdale, Key West, or Isla Mujeres, as supplies can be limited and costly in smaller stops.


HURRICANE MILTON CREATED NEW NAVIGABLE PASS

HURRICANE MILTON CREATED NEW NAVIGABLE PASS

"Nature Bats Last" usually harkens images of nature taking over in ways that override human construction and development.ย  In this case, however, Hurricane Milton re-opened a navigable pass on the Southwest Florida coast that has been closed for 41 years and many locals are thrilled.ย  This new pass goes by the name Midnight Pass, as it was before, or Milton Pass, as some are calling it now.ย  While this pass has been closed in with sand and silt since 1983, the two hurricanes to sweep across Florida's Southwest coast recently changed that.ย  The channel is navigable 'for now' and cuts through Siesta Key giving boaters another way to transit between the ocean and Little Sarasota Bay.

The day after Hurricane Milton punched a hole at Midnight Pass large enough for boats to pass through.ย  ย Looking out to the Gulf of Mexico.ย  ย Photo credit: Tara Ritchhie
Drone shot taken over Midnight Pass. Photo credit Sarasota Drone Guy
The force of Hurricane Milton piled up sand and made a shelf along the shore just inside Little Sarasota Bay near the Pass. Photo credit Michael Harris

Michael Harris reports in the local Observer:

What Milton did is more than open a wide lane for boats to go from the bay to the Gulf, it's more about filtering out the muck of Little Sarasota Bay and "breathing" clean water into it from the gulf.

The water of the bay had been trapped with no outflow for a stretch of nearly 15 miles. Over the years, it was brown from various pollutants, algae and at times gave off an unwelcome odor....ย It was a relatively lifeless strip of sand that acted as a barrier between lovely, clear pristine waters of the Gulf on one side, and the tea-colored, cloudy bay.

(Now)

It's beautiful.

It's welcoming.

It's clean.

Interestingly, as with most stories, as one digs deeper the plot thickens.ย  While todays environmental regulations and project costs make opening and closing passes of this nature difficult to impossible, 41 years ago the pass was closed through the successful permitting of two households to actually fill it in and close it.ย  According to Michael Harris the channel had been free flowing prior to 1983 but would shift due to shoaling on one side or the other.ย  The two households thought they put a stop to this by getting permits and closing the Pass.ย  Now Milton has come along and opened the Pass up again.

The question many locals are now asking is "how can we keep it open?"ย  While the Sarasota County has issued a statement acknowledging that they are not permitted to maintain any openings that result from Hurricanes, U.S. Rep. Greg Stuebe is cutting to the chase seeking help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep Midnight Pass open permanently.ย  It remains to be seen how the Pass will fare naturally over time or if this new Pass will get the financial and physical support it may need to stay where it is.

Only one thing is certain, for better or worse: Nature Bats Last


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