Cape Hatteras

[stevenit]

We are going to sail up the coast from Culebra to Savannah to make some work on a shipyard. After do that, maybe in June or July, we have to take a decision because we have no idea if it's better to stay in a hurricane hole like Brunswick or go up and pass cape Hatteras. Our insurance cover, during the hurricane season, only over the 35° N,, but we do not know if over is safe and how is "Cape Hatteras". We are coming from Italy through the Atlantic and Caribbean, first time in this sea..
Thanks for any suggestions.
[emoji569]

[Cheechako]

Cape Hatteras area can be rough if the NE-E wind is blowing against the Gulf Stream. You'll just have to time it well and watch weather. But it's done all the time. Any of the eastern seaboard is at risk during hurricane season, but it's pretty rare the further north you get..... and you get weeks of warning tracking them.

[stevenit]

👌thanks!

[pesarsten]

Don't know if you vessel is too big but is the Intercoastal Waterway an option for you? Enter at Moorehead city.

[pesarsten]

Never mind on the ICW, saw you have a 10 ft draft.

[jstevens]

If I read the original post correctly, you are asking for advice on places to stay during the Hurricane season, not routing advice for sailing the U.S. East Coast.
I wouldn't use insurance rules as a measure of your risk for a given area. The insurance company rules are based on their risk, which (I believe) is driven as much by the number of boats insured in a given area as the incidence of tropical storms for that area. There are relatively few insured boats in Georgia and the Carolinas compared to FL, so those areas get a break from the insurance companies even though the incidence of storms in those areas is not that much different than FL. State insurance regulations also affect insurance coverage rules and premiums.
If I were looking to keep my boat in an area with a low risk of tropical storms I would stay away from Hatteras and the whole coastal region of NC. Better to stay south or north of there. Since your insurance grants you tropical storm coverage for north or 35N I would head to the Chesapeake Bay which also has a low incidence of direct hits from tropical storms and many places to hide from them.

John

[stevenit]

Originally Posted by pesarsten

Don't know if you vessel is too big but is the Intercoastal Waterway an option for you? Enter at Moorehead city.

Too big, 9.8 ft draft and 77 of mast..

[stevenit]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Cape Hatteras area can be rough if the NE-E wind is blowing against the Gulf Stream. You'll just have to time it well and watch weather. But it's done all the time. Any of the eastern seaboard is at risk during hurricane season, but it's pretty rare the further north you get..... and you get weeks of warning tracking them.

Of course we try always to have a good weather to do any sail trip. I read there are some fisherman's nests along the cape, is it true? How is the minimum safe distance from the coast suggested?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by stevenit

Of course we try always to have a good weather to do any sail trip. I read there are some fisherman's nests along the cape, is it true? How is the minimum safe distance from the coast suggested?

I had no net issues, but possible. From the Cape south I have seen boats quite near the shore, maybe 1 mile. I assume to stay out of the GS when headed south. The trouble is, there are a couple places where shallows extend off of points of land out 10-20 miles! So at some point you have to go out anyway unless you know the details. The Gulf Stream was very near shore south of Hatteras. We were headed south not north. You could tell immediately as the water splashing on the boat was suddenly very warm and the boat was moving slow against the stream but had 8 knots on the knotmeter! Headed north, even on a light air day I suspect you will make good miles going with the GS.
I'm no expert in the area at all...I would get a good chart and take a look at it. North of Hatteras we felt very little gulf stream effect.
Note the shoals extending out and Gulf Stream location (pic 3):

[stevenit]

Wowo! Thank!

[stevenit]

Originally Posted by jstevens

If I read the original post correctly, you are asking for advice on places to stay during the Hurricane season, not routing advice for sailing the U.S. East Coast.
I wouldn't use insurance rules as a measure of your risk for a given area. The insurance company rules are based on their risk, which (I believe) is driven as much by the number of boats insured in a given area as the incidence of tropical storms for that area. There are relatively few insured boats in Georgia and the Carolinas compared to FL, so those areas get a break from the insurance companies even though the incidence of storms in those areas is not that much different than FL. State insurance regulations also affect insurance coverage rules and premiums.
If I were looking to keep my boat in an area with a low risk of tropical storms I would stay away from Hatteras and the whole coastal region of NC. Better to stay south or north of there. Since your insurance grants you tropical storm coverage for north or 35N I would head to the Chesapeake Bay which also has a low incidence of direct hits from tropical storms and many places to hide from them.

John

The post regards also if there are any particular attention we have to pay for the cape, but it is also very interesting read your topic because another issue we have to solve is WHERE to stay.
Under Hatteras there is only Brunswick as hurricane hole, instead in the bay there are a lot of cities. If somebody has suggestion about not expensive marina, we will stay in Chesapeake bay and take the time to visit the land

[belizesailor]

Yes, you do need to pay "particular" attention to the cape area. The extensive shoals plus the Gulf Stream can combine to make some seriously ugly conditions.

That section of coast line got its nickname for a reason (about 2,000 of them in fact).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grav...f_the_Atlantic

[irwin39]

Good luck on your trip. As a long time sailor in the Chesapeake Bay, recommend you get the Active Captain https://activecaptain.com/
application which has a lot of local knowledge available.
With mast height and draft, you will find some restrictions in the Bay if you decide to come that far north.

[stevenit]

Originally Posted by irwin39

Good luck on your trip. As a long time sailor in the Chesapeake Bay, recommend you get the Active Captain https://activecaptain.com/
application which has a lot of local knowledge available.
With mast height and draft, you will find some restrictions in the Bay if you decide to come that far north.

Thank you!
We already have an account on ActiveCaptnain (It's a pitty it is doesn't work on android system).

[Clipper4730]

We sailed the opposite direction last summer and stayed about a mile or less offshore the whole way except right at Cape Hatteras where you need to go out and around the shoals. The outer marker for the diamond shoal is only 7.5nm off the cape. We passed around it at midnight and had no problems. Cape Lookout just north of Beaufort NC is a great spot to rest up for the jaunt to the Chesapeake. Nice Beaches good holding plenty deep and a nice National Park with a lighthouse.

As far as marinas in the Chesapeake go we spent several months at Anchorage Marina in Baltimores inner harbor. Very affordable and super convenient to shopping museums parks nightlife sporting venues etc. a grocery store was right across the street and there is a pretty active liveaboard community there. The slips are all privately owned so they show up on craigslist quite often.

Enjoy!
Will