Ches Bay -> USVI Late August

[Roniszoro]

Re: " Planning a trip from Chesapeake Bay to USVI in late August with a stop in Bermuda possible but not desired."

If not desired, WTF are you going that way????

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That is the way to get to the Virgin Islands from the Chesapeake. I did the trip quite a few years ago leaving Norfolk and picking a point about 100 miles SE of Bermuda before turning South to Antigua. We made it in 14 days on a 40 foot sloop. But we left in early November, after the hurricane season, not in August....which is totally crazy!

[Delancey]

well, these posts explain everything...

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ig-156725.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ii-157687.html

I understand the desire to get the boat south in time for chartering season, but really maybe should reconsider the offshore route.

I'm not the chrotchety "blue water" boat snob type and applaud your gumption. Lot's of folks sit around doing nothing but make excuses.

Glad to see you persuing your dream. That said, be smart, don't be dumb.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Delancey

well, these posts explain everything...

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ig-156725.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ii-157687.html

I understand the desire to get the boat south in time for chartering season, but really maybe should reconsider the offshore route.

I'm not the chrotchety "blue water" boat snob type and applaud your gumption. Lot's of folks sit around doing nothing but make excuses.

Glad to see you persuing your dream. That said, be smart, don't be dumb.

Nicely said and good advice.

[tchiffriller]

Wow sure is fun for you to be super negative from your arm chair, have you actually made the sail to Bermuda in august?

Because I have, with a weather router, and it was a great 7 day sail.

Christ I understand your trying to help but in the future be a little more level headed with your posting, if I heeded to all of the negative posters and older sailors that have said "your gunna die" I never would have left the dock

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by tchiffriller

Wow sure is fun for you to be super negative from your arm chair, have you actually made the sail to Bermuda in august?

Because I have, with a weather router, and it was a great 7 day sail.

Christ I understand your trying to help but in the future be a little more level headed with your posting, if I heeded to all of the negative posters and older sailors that have said "your gunna die" I never would have left the dock

Not real sure who your comment is directed at, but on behalf of the half dozen or so people on this thread who have tried to impress upon you the need for caution, relax!!!

Seriously, there are some salty MFr's on this thread. Pay attetion to what they have to say. Make the right passage in the right season.

For myself I made a late season west to east Atlantic crossing and got my ass handed to me by way of six day gale. Thought I knew better before hand, won't ever make that mistake again.

I can tell you're in a rush to get down south. When I'm in a rush is when I make bad decisions. That's what I've learned in life.

Besides the fact that you are in rush, why exactly is your position the best position? There are two sides to every argument. Lot's of people are saying no but other than the fact that it will take you less time you haven't made much of a case for it, let alone convinced anybody it is safer.

[tchiffriller]

True your right good point it just depresses me when people tell me I'm going to die.

Didn't mean to be mean It just is a reoccurring thing with sailing,

Debating going to Bermuda and waiting a month for hurricane season to calm down

[mikefp60]

I must say I certainly enjoy markj's commentary. And couldn't agree more.

I have only sailed 1/2 way around the world. And I have only done the trip they are planing to do 4 times. But no way, no how, would I do it this time of year. I have had my azz handed to me during the "right" time of year. Right now its either dead calm or cat 3. Neither are where you want to be.

Good luck and God Speed if you do it. But you have received good advice.

Mike
S/V Vivo

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by tchiffriller

Wow sure is fun for you to be super negative from your arm chair, have you actually made the sail to Bermuda in august?

Because I have, with a weather router, and it was a great 7 day sail.

Christ I understand your trying to help but in the future be a little more level headed with your posting, if I heeded to all of the negative posters and older sailors that have said "your gunna die" I never would have left the dock

If you've done it before, why did you start a thread asking about going?

Matt

[tchiffriller]

haha im gettin roasted here

the plan was to go straight to usvi but get an easting out by bermuda odds are you can get a weather window to there and then cut south if the forecast is clear or cut into bermuda if not thats why i said that

and the ratchet strap to the toe rail actually worked pretty well, just glassed in the new bulkhead the boats coming along great heres a pic

just got my 100 ton masters near coastal too for the charters but i did an external feasibility analysis on my charter business model and i found the market down there is so saturated with people trying to run charters on their own boats that its hard to get a market share

also living and working on the boat would get pretty old quick i can imagine

[tchiffriller]

we did those analysis for a class project it was pretty interesting

ha sorry i got a bit offended

but i have just done the part to bermuda was hoping for some insight on heading south after that

thanks

[tchiffriller]

but yeah seeming like it would be a good idea to neck it out around here for a bit lol

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by tchiffriller

have you actually made the sail to Bermuda in august?

Because I have, with a weather router, and it was a great 7 day sail.

And odds are you could do it again and have another great sail. But you are playing with the odds. Do so enough times and sooner or later the odds will catch up with you.

No I'm not saying this is certain death but that is one of the possible outcomes.

I have made the trip from to and from the VI to various parts of the east coast a few times including south Florida to USVI once in late August. On that trip we ran into hurricane David and barely made it to a hurricane hole before getting hammered.

Also made a delivery from the VI to New England in late fall (yes I know we were going the wrong way, long story) knowing it was a bit late for the trip and also got hammered by a nor'easter about halfway there.

Bottom line, going offshore in the wrong season is just a bit like Russian roulette. No you don't die if you lose the game but it is a dangerous game to play. It's up to you to evaluate the risk/reward ratio and whether it's worth it to you to play the odds again.

[tchiffriller]

Yea great advice thank you guys

I think I'll probably end up hanging out in the Bahamas and wait for November before shooting down there or thorny path

That must have been a pretty wild trip @skipmac

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by tchiffriller

That must have been a pretty wild trip @skipmac

David wasn't a wild ride since we made harbor in good time.

The bad one was the Oct storm. We were on the direct route from VI to MA a couple hundred miles NE of Hatteras when the nor'easter hit, in the Gulf Stream so the waves got steep and nasty. The delivery was a 90' fishing boat and we had waves break over the top of the pilot house. Only time I was seriously scared at sea.

If you saw The Perfect Storm remember the scene where they lost one of the flopper stoppers? That happened to us at the peak of the storm. One difference, we didn't have George Clooney climbing out on the outrigger

Boat start rolling really badly and I was pretty worried it would go over before we could fix it. Rigged a new one and while trying to deploy it smashed a port and put a couple of really big dings in the side. Did you know that if you hit a steel boat hard enough it will ring like a bell?

[Hearts Content]

It always made me scratch my head when we would rescue folks making runs like this. If you get rescued, you are lucky. Many aren't.

This isn't Coastal hopping where the search resources come from close by. This is send out C130's to find you and then launch the helicopter to come get you - due to the distance.

Something to ponder.