How much time do you spend waiting for weather windows?

[dustman]

For those of you who have sailed around the world or have extensive sailing experience; what percentage of your total traveling time is spent waiting for good weather windows?

[wholybee]

For me it wasn't much. Typically you might wait a week before leaving a port. Often only a couple days. I would ( long before I was ready to leave) plan a departure window of a week and almost always get to leave sometime in that window. During that time, I am still out doing stuff, not purely "waiting."
The only notable place this didn't happen was between Richard's Bay and Cape Town. I was in Richards Bay a full month, then had a window not long enough to make it to Cape Town, and stopped 2 more times on the way there.

[JPA Cate]

We once waited 19 days in Twofold Bay, NSW, for a good window for us to Tasmania, which skirts Bass Straits.

To me, it would never have occurred to me to wonder about the percentage of time spent waiting, because cruising is supposed to be fun, so you try to make fun happen whilst you are waiting--it is not wasted time off your allotted hours on the planet, it is spent on something that gives you (and whoever's with you) pleasure.

The weather gods are mischievous thugs, do not give them ideas of what might aggravate you--beware.

You eventually learn what kinds of weather suit you best, and you seek those windows. One hundred years from now, what will it matter if you waited very long, and then changed your plans?

When we are cruising, we are somewhat at the command of the weather, and there is also something nice - -at-one-ment-- about that. Lead yourself away from hubris. Watch, make your best choice. Don't trouble about the percentages of time spent this way and that, it's all part of the same stream of life. Time you spend looking for bell birds in Twofold Bay is time you don't spend reading the news. Those choices are not likely to matter a whole lot in 100 yrs.



Ann

[Benz]

I've waited a week, usually less--when you travel with the seasons, chances of good weather are stacked in your favor.
Like Ann beatifully stated above, time spent waiting can be redeemed by those with a good attitude.

[sailorboy1]

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

[MicHughV]

A huge problem invariably arises when friends fly out to join you for a week or two and you find yourself in weather not optimum for much of anything but you have to get back to some or other airport or destination to make a pre-arranged arrival or departure time.

Leaving or arriving at the wrong time of the year has also caused me prolonged waiting periods.

Then there are those unexpected storms at sea which may cause you to alter course to a new destination not on your planned itinerary, screwing up your entire timetable.

Breakages aboard, mechanical issues can also play havoc with one's timetable.

At the end of the day, it's a toss of the dice as weather forecasts can also be wrong.

[Kettlewell]

It really depends on where you are and where you are headed. I try really hard to not sail to a schedule when cruising, and therefore I don't really just "wait" for weather. For example, recently there have been lots of people headed south from the East Coast of the USA or Canada. Along this coast there are many ports of call and options so instead of waiting for the perfect weather to hop offshore I keep plugging along the coast when headed south, possibly inside the ICW, and then jump offshore when/if a weather window presents itself. I've done the same thing while people wait to cross to the Bahamas in the winter: keep plugging south down to the Keys until you get a nice weather window and then you have a much better angle on the Gulf Stream, with a favorable current actually speeding your passage. OTOH if one is in say Bermuda and wants to return to the USA, it is prudent to literally wait for the weather to be favorable because there is nowhere else to go instead of waiting.

[Tupaia]

Spend more time waiting for parts. Even more annoying when parts arrive a couple of days after the weather window. You just have to chill and take time to smell the daisies.

[JBP]

Usually November through April.

[AiniA]

I never considered it a problem if you are travelling in the suggested season for the region you are in. I can think of a few times when we waited a day or two because nicer weather was predicted. Only once we sat for four or five days waiting for weather to change. Can think of one time when we a day or so earlier than we originally planned because conditions in the Windward Passage were going to deteriorate.

Someone mentioned Richard's Bay to Cape Town. I think you could wait quite a while to find a long enough window for that. Too many frontal systems coming through. We planned to do it in steps, which the poster ended up doing and using forecasts and advice from the Peri-Peri net about when to go and when to stop. The stops turned out to be well worth it. In Durban we found a Christmas concert by Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the local botanical garden. Cruising is about taking your time to smell the flowers.

[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.

[carstenb]

We wait as long as it takes (bad answer I know). Mostly only a couple of days but we have waited a week or more. No big deal - open another bottle of wine, make some nice dinners, read good book - get all those undone boat repairs done.

[Kettlewell]

Having talked to many thousands of cruisers over many years it is almost always the ones sailing on a schedule that have had the awful experiences. I've seen it in my own travels. As much as I try to avoid sailing to a schedule there have been times when we have to get someplace to meet someone flying in, or to get one of the crew back someplace to catch a flight. Several of those trips had to be made in weather I wouldn't normally go in. Avoid cruising to schedules!

[Mogle]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I try to avoid sailing to a schedules!

This is a very valid point. A schedule does not mix with sailing. It takes the pleasure out of sailing. If you are short of time - it will impact your sailing in many ways, it can also put you at risk.

[MicHughV]

I left Bermuda one year with a favorable weather forecast and outlook.

Three days later I was in the most horrific storm I've ever been in.

It's been my experience that predicting the future weather is little different from throwing the bones.

At best, an offshore weather forecast is good for 2, maybe 3 days, after that.....you are on your own.

Even highly acclaimed weather routers can, and do, get it wrong.