How much time do you spend waiting for weather windows?

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

... They go as far as they get, without any anticipation of getting "there." If there is no "there," then there truly is no need to "go."

Undoubtably one of the best couple of sentences I've ever read.
It's up there with Descartes "I think, therefore I am."
Thank you Harry, fantastic.

[Cheechako]

Waiting, 1-2 weeks is not out of the question sometimes. Haven't rounded the world though.

[boatman61]

Most of my trips are long distance.. Florida - Spain for example.
In Florida it can be maybe a week waiting for a S'ly window of 2 to 3 days to get me over the top of the Bahamas and into the Atlantic, from there on its take what comes.
However once across it could be a 1 to 2 week wait for the E'ly coming through the Strait to go W.. it may only be a F3-4 at Gib but the acceleration at the other end can be F7-8 or more making passage through near impossible given the tides and wind combination.
So basically.. as long as it takes..

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

So, there are those that aren't in a rush. They go as far as they get, without any anticipation of getting "there." If there is no "there," then there truly is no need to "go."

I have read these sentances a dozen times and they still makes no sense at all... One of those things that on first hearing SOUNDS incredibly profound, but when you actually try to parse it and paraphrase it you realize it means absolutely nothing.

"They go as far as they get." Huh?

I mean does ANYBODY go further than they get???? Or are there people who actually get further than they go??? I always get as far as I go, even if I don't go at all! Or is it I go as far as I get??? Whatever...

There is actually a scientific paper about this kind of stuff.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

I have read these sentances a dozen times and they still makes no sense at all... One of those things that on first hearing SOUNDS incredibly profound, but when you actually try to parse it and paraphrase it you realize it means absolutely nothing.

"They go as far as they get." Huh?

I mean does ANYBODY go further than they get???? Or are there people who actually get further than they go??? I always get as far as I go, even if I don't go at all! Or is it I go as far as I get??? Whatever...

There is actually a scientific paper about this kind of stuff.

Where ever ya go, there ya are.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

I have read these sentances a dozen times and they still makes no sense at all... One of those things that on first hearing SOUNDS incredibly profound, but when you actually try to parse it and paraphrase it you realize it means absolutely nothing.

"They go as far as they get." Huh?

I mean does ANYBODY go further than they get???? Or are there people who actually get further than they go??? I always get as far as I go, even if I don't go at all! Or is it I go as far as I get??? Whatever...

There is actually a scientific paper about this kind of stuff.

It's trying to make sense of the argument that you shouldn't sell to a schedule.
I have a friend who wanted to take his boat South for the winter. Lots of issues, lots of weather constraints. He made it as far as the Chesapeake bay. I'm not sure if he was happy with that outcome, but that is the outcome of never rush, don't have a schedule, what's the hurry.
The journey that I described in my post, it wasn't a schedule in the sense of an airplane reservation. But we had a schedule and there was a rush. The desire was to do the Down East Circle, and ideally make it as far as the French islands. We had a place we wanted to go, and would have been disappointed if we hadn't. If we had taken the no rush approach, we wouldn't have seen any of Newfoundland or France, and arguably might have had to lay the boat up for the winter in Canada.
Some would have been happy either way. Not making Newfoundland or France would not have bothered them. They didn't have a destination, they lived in the moment. Because there was no destination, they couldn't fail to make it.
Living in the moment, enjoying where you are, not worrying about the weather delay, makes for a very pleasant life. But making a destination, completing an objective -- that can be very satisfying as well. Neither is wrong.

[NormanMartin]

True story. In Marina St Louis, St Martin. Met a guy with a big Island Packet. Waiting for a weather window to leave for St Barts.

[Shrew]

As long as it takes. I try to look ahead and plan to be in places that I want to be in if I'm forced into an extended stay. In other words, If weather looks like it's gong to turn in a few days, try to be somewhere with access to resources where I wouldn't mind being 'stuck'.

[Pegu Club]

As much time as Mother Nature demands, not much one can do about that, its really only a problem when one has a schedule,

Fair winds,

[Kettlewell]

It's trying to make sense of the argument that you shouldn't sell to a schedule.

Here's a true-story example. We were headed down the ICW and met a couple in Beaufort, NC, who were determined to head offshore to get to Florida faster. Well, the weather just wasn't conducive for doing that so we kept motoring down the ICW making about 50 miles a day, anchoring every night, enjoying the trip. A couple of weeks later in Palm Beach we were anchored and saw the other boat just arriving in the harbor, and of course we eventually talked. They went offshore like planned, got beat up, ended up heading back in to fix stuff that was broken and get some rest after beating their brains out offshore, and were just arriving after having had a tiring trip. I've met other people who were just miserable because they were pushing on so much they weren't really seeing or enjoying the places they were visiting. But, it really depends on what you want to do. The weather doesn't care about your schedule, and neither do the boat repair gremlins.

[Bowdrie]

Line from an old song,
"I wasn't going anywhere, I've already been where I was going."

[mako]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

My problem isn't waiting for windows. It is stopping the wait and leaving too soon.

Yep. Waited over a month, springtime Seattle, to push off for California. Lost patience and then left in May. 2 days later really regretted it. Should have waited a few more weeks.

[Hasbeen]

I once sailed to Rabaul to be north of the southern hemisphere cyclone season to sit it out. I planned on sitting it out for 4 months. I enjoyed the area so much I stayed 16 months. Is that a record?

[SV Coronado]

In general, it depends on two factors: where you're located on the planet and how far you plan to sail. Where: if you're in higher latitudes, the weather changes a lot, and you may need to wait a bit for the wind and sea state to be in your favor. In lower latitudes, the weather is more consistent, and you usually don't need to wait long - it doesn't change as much.

The further the distance, the lower the probability of finding good weather along the entire route, especially in higher latitudes. For example, anyone who's sailed from Europe to North America and back knows it's a lot easier to find a weather window going west than east.

[jalmberg]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

It depends... like everything in sailing there is no simple answer.

In the tropics we spend very little time waiting for weather. The weather "in season" is usually quite stable. That situation can change a lot if you are trying to make your way against prevailing trade winds. You can wait a good long time.

In high latitudes (and "higher latitudes" are further north in summer than in winter), we spend a lot of time waiting. We do that because we are lazy sailors who prefer comfort. We'll wait a week to avoid 2 days of beating into 20 knot winds and be very happy about it. We'll wait a week to sail a trip instead of three days motoring.

But as a percentage of time sailing? that's meaningless because it varies hugely by location and destination.

Right now (early November) I am have been waiting a week to get a happy weather window to take a delivery south from Norfolk to Florida. Looking better in another 3 or 4 days.

Exactly. It depends on when (what time of year) and where (especially regards to latitude).

For example, this summer (like July!) we spent two weeks in Falmouth, waiting for a weather window to cross the Irish Sea. It never did arrive! We gave up and headed up the Irish Sea to Scotland.

On the other hand, last summer (early June) at the mouth of the Delaware River in the US, we waited 2 days for what we thought was a great weather window to cross the Gulf Stream, on our way to the Azores. We did have one day of good weather, but then had two weeks of horrible weather. This horrible weather didn't really show up on the forecast before hand.

I take all forecasts with a large grain of salt. Basically, if you are going offshore, you need to be ready for anything. If the forecast turns out to be correct, you can feel lucky for having picked the right window. If it is wrong, you can feel smart for being prepared.