S6E12 How I Plan and Execute a Sailing Voyage From the US East Coast to the Virgin Islands

In this video I share how I planed and executed three sailing voyages (one double handed and two singlehanded) in a 36' sailboat from the US East Coast to the Virgin Islands. Some of the topics covered are route selection, Wx consideration, voyage timing, safety, provisioning, boat set up, safety, navigation, comms, and decision-making.

This video is not intended to serve as a tutorial on how others should plan and execute this voyage. This video shares my choices, base on my experience and my boat. Offshore sailing can be dangerous. Sail offshore at your own risk.

The photo of the flotilla of sailboats on the ICW at 5:28 is credited to the Sail to the Sun Face Book Group and is used without permission under the Fair Use Act. It is for educational and illustrative purposes only. There is no context other than to show a group of sailboat on the ICW.

The photo of a cabin cruiser and a sailboat going through a draw bridge at 5:32 is used with the permission of the website owner at www.sailingfortuitous.com

Season 6 episodes include building varnished cockpit coamings and teak winch bases, sharing varnishing techniques, demonstrating how the Cape Horn Windvane works, a four part series on refitting an aluminum mast, and now a two part series on how to build a reinforced boom.

The Far Reach is highly modified Cape Dory 36 I built from a gutted hull and deck over a six year period in a shed in our backyard in North Carolina. This was a complete rebuild retaining only the hull, deck, portlights, hatches, and a few cleats. Click here for a video summarizing the rebuild:

https://youtu.be/u7FdROltzPw?si=GWPpQbqzk-4y7B2C

In Season 5 I singlehanded the Far reach from North Carolina to the Virgin Islands in December 2021. It was my third voyage in the Far Reach to the Virgin Islands. In May of 2022 I single-handed the Far Reach back home to NC via the offshore route, a non stop voyage of about 1,440 Nautical miles.

In the previous Season 4 episodes I shared what it took to rebuild our 36' sailboat from a complete gutted hull and deck into my ideal voyaging boat, installed a small inboard Diesel engine with a folding propeller, and made some additional improvements to the Far Reach. Click here for a video on a from scratch installation of an inboard diesel engine including shaft long and folding two blades propeller: https://youtu.be/JcwbQ2jAyNM?si=rAYqC7GSzUlWmMIS

Previous episodes recap:
Season 1, Episode 1, contains a short synopsis of a six year total rebuild of the Far Reach from a gutted bare hull. I also double hand the Far Reach offshore with my sister from NC to the BVI.
In Season 2, I single-hand the Far Reach from Sint Maarten back to NC.
In Season 3, I share my Single-handed voyage from NC to the BVI as well as from the VI back to NC.
In Season 4, I detailed the original rebuild of the Far Reach then the planning and installation of a small diesel engine with a folding propeller. I concluding by sharing some additional modifications and upgrades as well as trouble shooting the Cape Horn windvane.

To learn more about the rebuilding of the Far Reach: http://www.farreachvoyages.com

To read about this voyage, and many others, including additional modifications and updates to the Far Reach since her launch in 2015: https://www.farreachvoyages.net

For more information on the Stimson Bow Roof Shed visit https://bow-roof-shed.com

If you have questions or stories to share about your own voyages feel free to post them in the comment section. Happy sailing.