Island Hopping from Cozumel to Cuba and company?

“Ocean faring” and “bow rider” are mutually exclusive terms.

My advice is t buy a small boat appropriate for the primary use and ship it to Mexico.

Confused about your post. You re mentioning Cozumel but also st Lucia which is no where near being in the way to Cozumel...

Also, there aren't too many islands near Cozumel to go island hoping...

What boat will work best depends on your use. For day trip close to home,a midsize center console is probably the most flexible choice... for longer trip, you will need something significantly larger and sea worthy but again it depends on where exactly you will Be using the boat

Because Cozumel to st Lucia is a long way... it's roughly 2000 mm! and you re saying you may not need a cabin? Unless you're not talking about the island of St Lucia in the leeward island....

And why st Lucia? If you re going to go 2000nm you may as well go another hundred to the grenadines

Awfully snarky attitude for someone who thought a bow rider would get them across the Gulf of Mexico and deep into the Caribbean.

Come on now Pascal, it's only 2000mm between those dots on your map, that's not all that far!

I know you've probably still got an old Michelin guide in a drawer somewhere!

Well your request is so out there that it made no sense and it still doesn't.

2000nm in an open boat? And one tank of fuel? Not a chance

Smallest boat i d consider would be a sportfish over 60... Viking, hatteras or some of the Carolina customs. Or a trawler, over 50/55 like a Nordhavn

Pascal

This guy must be loads of fun at a dinner table. But I think he's saying that Coz to Cuba would be the one tank goal. Then he would island hop the additional approximate 1700 miles to St Lucia?

My suggestion would be a nice 32' outboard center console and stay close to home until he knows what he's doing. He admits he is a novice, so he doesn't know what he doesn't know. I mean a bow rider for that kind of trip even as a question - come on!

And a very good specific suggestion. My reaction was that his notion of using a bow rider demonstrated such a lack of understanding (and basic geography) that there’s a long way for him to go before he needs/should solicit specific boat suggestions

I can read and based on what I've read, I chose not to give you any advice, since the only possible advice I could give you at this point would be not to buy a boat, not any boat. You need to read and talk to people in person and research and learn. Take some courses. Charter. Anything to build a base of knowledge so then you can return and ask questions which will get you useful answers. Right now you'd only be a danger to yourself and others. You come to a yacht forum with questions when you're not yet ready for a small coastal boat.

You're going to need a captain to get started so talk to some local captains.

Xfimpg,

If you read any of the thousands of posts these members have made, you would find all of them provide intelligent answers, however it starts with realistic questions. Smart @$$ responses don't fare well in these waters.

Is this chap "trolling" us...

I'd like to defend my fellow posters. If you read this thread with objectivity, you started getting snarky at post 7. Until then everyone was telling you that the boat, distances, and one tank option that you are looking for were really not attainable within your parameters - but you came back with things like "I'm not asking what islands...." Read Pascal's first response about boat selection. Though it was clear to you, most of us were a little confused about your goals- why didn't you just clarify?

So, why don't we just try again.

A bowrider is not a boat for your float plan - even it were a 35 footer. Check the historical record on seastate/conditions

Let's call the distance to Cuba from Cozumel about 375 to its western ports - that's a lot of distance for the ordinary outboard

Approximately 1700 mile down to St Lucia - expensive island/lousy provisions - requires a pretty substantial boat with living quarters, otherwise you are renting rooms at every stop and buying every meal out. Remember space for the adult beverages at sunsets. And a change of clothes so the natives don't run from you. And when the winds blows and the sea state rises you'll want something sturdy and big around you - your wife will if she's like me.

The advice to start on shore with classes and boatyard visits is good, serious advice.

Good luck with your new home and hopes.