Crew Wanted

[bladedancer]

       

    I am looking for someone to join me on a sailing trip aboard my Pearson Ariel to the western Caribbean and wonder if you would be interested or, if not, know of anyone else who might be.
  The best time for the voyage is late april, early may.
  There are two ways to go:  one via the Bahamas and through the Windward passage to Jamaica, then across the Caribbean sea to the Gulf of Honduras [Islas de la Bahia],;
the other around the west end of Cuba, across to the Cayman islands and on to Honduras.
  I will be cruising in the Bahamas with my partner Madeline in march and early april so
one option would be to join the boat in the Bahamas [Georgetown or Nassau]. From  Acklins or Great Inagua]we would sail down through the Windward Passage to Jamaica [300 miles]. From Jamaica we could sail directly to the gulf of Honduras [450 miles] or go via the Cayman islands [100 mile further but in three hops.
The other possibility is to leave from Key West to Cuba [100 miles], west along the north coast, around cape San Antonio to Isla de la Juventud and the archipelago de Canarreos, and then across to the Cayman islands [150 miles].
  Either way it's about 1200 miles. Both routes involve open water passages of  one to five days. On passages  I envisage sailing nonstop, sails reefed at night, 3-4 hour watches.
The Bahamas route entails more blue water sailing and, depending on the weather, would take about a month. The Cuba route means more coastal cruising but would take longer-4-6 weeks, more if we wanted to go at a leisurely pace and explore. I prefer the latter but either is good. I plan to leave the boat down there over the summer and make the return journey next year.

   The Boat:  Loiuse Michel a 1963 Pearson Ariel

It's a small boat that I have deliberately kept simple: if it can't be fixed, there's a back up unit. Since I bought it in spring 2009 I have set it up for extended cruising and have all the essential gear. Although old it is a solid, seaworthy little boat.
I replaced the main and bought a new outboard [Tohatsu 6HP with pull start] in 2009. There is a roller furling jib in good condition. The boat has a 80 watt solar panel and new batteries; tiller pilot; GPS [2] and VHF radio [2]; paper charts and a laptop with nav program.
Ground tackle is more than adequate, consisting of a manson supreme, a fortress and two deltas with  heavy chain and rode line.
Can carry 30 gallons of water and fuel for 250 miles motoring.

    The Skipper: Maikel Carder

I have been sailing my own boats, either alone or with crew, for over twenty years. Most of this was extended coastal cruising in the pacific northwest,  including a six week circumnavigation of Vancouver island. Four years ago I crossed the atlantic as crew on a 40' catamaran.
In this boat I have cruised for two summers in southern New England and last fall came down the coast ? mostly on the ICW, but with several offshore hops.
I am 69, in good health, don't smoke, and don't drink while underway. I grew up in England, have been a knifemaker for thirty years, semi retired, and am in a committed LTR. I am a good cook. Don't have a facebook profile but if you google my name and/or stone soup knives you will find more details.

[Bill NH]

Be sure to stop in Guanaja in the Bay Islands... very beautiful island, and much less built up than Roatan is now...

[bladedancer]

My friend Noel who i first met at the hot springs on the west coast of vancouver island -he had just got in from Queen Charlottes- says he's free, willing and able. No bikini babe but he looks great in a thong. More to point he's an experienced small boat sailor.
So it looks like I will be going to the western caribbean this spring after the Bahamas.
Any more ideas about where to go, what to not miss, things to avoid etc, would be most appreciated.  In particular safe places to leave LM over the summer - out of the water would be my preference - in either Honduras or Belize. I have leads for rio Dulce.

[JWalker]

Thats fantastic! Im glad you were able to pick up crew!  :D