Routing and Weather

As we get ready to (finally) leave, routing, charts, and weather are becoming our most important tasks. We have decided to take the route with the best chance of favorable weather and currents, a north-west sail across the Caribbean to the Windward Passage between Haiti and Cuba, then west-north-west between the north coast of Cuba and the Bahamas to Key West, and finally north to Sarasota:

We have the option of anchoring for rest or to wait for weather at an island on the south-western tip of Haiti, Ile a Vache. This will be about half-way home. Once we get through the Windward Passage, we can pick up a favorable current called the Old Bahama Channel to help us along.

Right now, the wind is blowing in a fresh to strong breeze and will pick up mid-week, so we have time to stow more items that will become air-borne once we are underway, and make a last grocery store stop. Our last task, the day before we leave, will be to check out of customs and immigration. We still don't know when our weather window will be, and are relying on our weather router, Chris Parker for that information. Every day I look at the weather and it is still brisk with lumpy seas out on the open water.