the trick is to wait for a window... even in winter, the timing of the front is such that usually if you wait a couple of days you will get decent conditions with the winds clocking away from the north and turning more easterly.
when heading into waves, as often the case when crossing into easterly wind, both the 53C or the 53MY will shine thanks to their fine, wave cutting bow. The price we pay for this is a small cramped bow stateroom.
i find that rolling around happens more often when returning and you get waves off the stbd stern, so in these conditions a 53C will be easier to handle due to the lower CG. the MY will be ok although stabs would help, usually in these conditions you can forget the AP and have to hand steer.
further down the bahamas, crossing the bank to the berrys, is an easy run although can be choppy, usually with waves on the bow in which again both boats will do equally well. between the Berrys and Nassau, you often have a mix of easterly waves and some swells from the NE, it can be a long 40nm but again nothing a 24 delay usually won't cure.
Chris, you've been on Charmer, despite the almost 20' i can tell you that CG affects the ride! with a skylounge, Waverunner, 15' rib and a pair of spare 36" props, that's a lot of weight up top and it can be a handful
