A PAINLESS PASSAGE

Choosing a good weather window is the best way to make your way down The Thorny Path.

Todd Duff

In all the years since renowned 1950s yachtsman Carleton Mitchell coined the term “The Thorny Path” for the often difficult and taxing passage from Florida to the Virgin Islands via the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, sailors have, in great numbers, taken this well-trodden route. Numerous books and articles have addressed the tactics and the pitfalls to be overcome when making this classic run, and yet, it seems that many sailors are missing some of the simplest and most important strategies that can assure a relatively easy, if not completely painless, experience. The biggest problems most sailors face are the nearly incessant easterly trade winds and large sea conditions that prevail much of each year along the southern parts of this route, as well as winter cold fronts that can strongly…

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Cruising World (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

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