Cheaspeake - Portorico

[stevenit]

By the ending of the hurricane season, from mid november, we plan to sail back from Cheaspeake bay to Portorico (or Culebra).

Is a direct route possible in that period? Difficult sailing or affordable for two people (me and my wife)?

Thanks a lot.

[Gillian Mulcahy]

We a similar trip last year to BVI in November.
The old advice of getting out to 65W before reaching the trades is sound.
not long passge making.We did not go far enough east as we beleived too much in the GRIBs we were able to download and the subsequent routing advice on the pc plotter. We encountered trade at 25 - 35kn rather than the 15 - 20kn forecast and which we had had 10 years before on the same passage. and had a long period sailing further off the wind than desirable, being in a fractionally rigged boat with only two reefs (mainly used for racing and a very wet ride!)
On berthing in Sopers Hole, there was some curiosity as to why we were hanging out a large quantity of very wet clothing in ideal BVI sailing weather!

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by stevenit

By the ending of the hurricane season, from mid november, we plan to sail back from Cheaspeake bay to Portorico (or Culebra).

Is a direct route possible in that period? Difficult sailing or affordable for two people (me and my wife)?

Originally Posted by Gillian Mulcahy

The old advice of getting out to 65W before reaching the trades is sound.

Gillian is correct. I make this trip two or three times each year.

You want to be far enough East by the time you get into trade winds. There is nothing magic about 30°N. Sometimes the trades will be North of that and sometimes well South, often driven by the location and magnitude of the midatlantic High. A few weeks ago I made the trip northbound and we saw no trade winds at all in the Atlantic.

Wind permitting I leave the Chesapeake on 135°T and sail to 65°W before heading South. I generally won't go below 120°T - get your easting in early. Don't give up ground to windward.

I call my approach "aim for Bermuda and miss."

Incidentally, Gillian's experience demonstrates the rationale for my very strong reservations about GRIBs. They don't show fronts and they don't show deep Lows and high Highs. These weather artifacts drive local weather, especially wind. In the area of a front GRIBs can be off by 45 or 60° on wind direction. Within the influence (which can be hundreds of miles) of a Low or a High GRIBs can be off on wind speed by 10 or 20 kts. Take advantage of the meteorologist value-added of synoptic charts (weather fax at sea).

[denverd0n]

I looked, but can't find Portorico on any map. From the posted picture it looks like it must be somewhere near Puerto Rico. What is it? One of those small islands near there?


(Sorry, I couldn't resist. )

[bobnlesley]

As another whose been there/done that, I would also reiterate the 'go east young man' advice. Some stronger than expected northerlies early on forced us to run too far south and not far enough east; we made it to our planned destination (St Thomas, USVI) but had to sail narrow reach/close hauled right across the tradewind belt, we too arrived with a lot of wet gear.

I'd also advise patience in waiting for the right weather window to set off in (we didn't, hence the northerlies battering us early on) a perect outlook would perhaps be F4 SW for a couple of days to get beyond the Gulf Stream, then a day or two of moderate F4/5 NE to send you a bit further south and well east, before having these increase in the area that you've just left, so giving you enough push to cross the horse latitudes and reach some hopefully just N of east trades from 30N/65W for the run down to PR/VI.

Also don't underestimate this passage. Having done both this passage and an E to W Atlantic crossing, I reckon that you north Americans have a much tougher trip to the Caribbean than we Europeans; it might be fewer days at sea, but you have to put a whole lot more work into 'sailing' the boat; I barely managed to read one book enroute.