Crossing Gulf of Mexico in January

[JChampagne]

Hi All, Planning a Gulf of Mexico crossing from Galveston to Marathon in our Hatteras 48' LRC in January. Looking for any advice on best routes etc.

Thank you!

Jackie -- M/V Black Powder

[Lepke]

Stay in the deepest water, no ground effect on the swells. As swells approach shallower water they get higher and closer together. If weather is good, wind is light, never mind.
Once the water is over your head, it doesn't matter how deep it is.

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by JChampagne

Hi All, Planning a Gulf of Mexico crossing from Galveston to Marathon in our Hatteras 48' LRC in January. Looking for any advice on best routes etc.

Thank you!

Jackie -- M/V Black Powder

Well, let's see with your M/V do you have enough fuel to go straight across? It is either that or probably ICW to Pensacola. What is your air draft? You could likely stay inside except for Carrabelle to Clearwater.

[JChampagne]

Hi
Yes we have enough fuel, our range is between !300 and 2200 miles depending on speed, so its no problem. I really don't like that part of the intercoastal so we are trying to decide if we have a weather window how to go.

Thanks

[jhulmer]

January burr! but M/V solves that LOL!



Most folks try and catch the tail of a cold front passing through and follow behind. Generally, nicer weather for a few days.


If Predict Wind or Windyty models indicate a decent weather window I would (in a M/V) push straight across.


We generally, when sailing (slower) shoot for Clearwater then head down the coast to Marathon. Or just make a big arc within 50 mls of the coast with bailout points if the weather window collapses.


Weather and the oil platforms keep you awake on watch! The Gulf can whip up and just as fast settle down. It's called the washing machine for a reason.

[belizesailor]

January, and its associated cold fronts, would not be my choice. Delay to April/May if you can.

Cold Fronts crossing the GOM can spawn some seriously nasty weather...Ive been caught in hurricane force weather from cold fronts in the GOM: Winds 65-85 knots, seas to about 25'. Have been in squalls in the GOM w gusts 50-60 knots many times. I was thankfully ashore once when reported seas in mid-gulf were 50' (also during a cold front). Do not take the GOM lightly.

If your weather routing skills are not strong, then hire a pro router, they dont cost much relative to the cost of this journey.

Currents: get familiar with the Gulf Loop Current and get the most recent imagery of it just before departure (like the hour of).

Have you transited the Oil Patch before?

[JChampagne]

Thanks for the input. Yes, the plan would be to leave close behind a cold front and have a weather service help with the planning.

[jhulmer]

I can't argue with Belizesailor he is correct and to the point about the Gulf in December through March.

I am planning to go at the end of March. However, if it were me, and I wanted to go in January, I would go but I would follow the coast and bailout when needed.
BTW PredictWind has a pretty good route planer with subscription.


Cheers!

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

The GOM gets nasty fast in my experience. I did a 4 day delivery of a sailboat from Galveston to Panama City and got hit hard with no place to go on the third day. Thankfully the real rough stuff didn't last more than 8 hours. A M/V could get across faster but I'd still hug the coast with options to bail at Pensacola, Panama City, and Carrabelle.

[Catboat Willy]

I brought a Swan 55 across from Kemah to Boca Grande FL . We went straight out the shipping channel. There is some good advice regarding waves and weather above. One thing I will mention is that you will be navigating at night and you must be careful unlighted, un-marked (oil) stand pipes and other obstructions to navigation. We went on a full moon just because of that issue and it worked out well. It was five days for us with five on board. Use radar.

[bstreep]

All great advice. Our plans are to leave South Texas to Mexico in January/February. "Tail end of a cold front" to get east, and professional weather routing are our solutions. Not looking forward to it.

[jhulmer]

If taking the close to shore route, the worst part is the oil patch slalom until you get past Mobile. I always take a deep breath and relax after I see the Mobile ship channel on my stern.

As mentioned, there are a lot of unlit objects sticking up out of the water closer to shore. I prefer to get at least a couple miles out from the entrance to the mobile ship channel to avoid them.

We crossed from Biloxi to Clearwater last May. We left in the evening with perfect weather and a full moon. We past unlit objects around Mobile (closer to shore) that our radar barely picked up. We did notice that most had reflectors on them so a spot light ever few minutes helps spot them until you are further off shore.
Although, I have not cruised the leg from TX to LA I have gone out fishing the LA coast a good bit and you have the same situation closer to shore with numerous rigs (production platforms) offshore which are well lit. So getting farther offshore is the safest bet for night passages.

Also, Current updated digital charts are a must. This area is well charted and updated regularly because the oil industry moves stuff around all the time.
Edit: keep the chartplotter zoomed in! SO the little items show up.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by bstreep

All great advice. Our plans are to leave South Texas to Mexico in January/February. "Tail end of a cold front" to get east, and professional weather routing are our solutions. Not looking forward to it.

We left most recently following a cold front in December. It was efficient and miserable.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Catboat Willy

I brought a Swan 55 across from Kemah to Boca Grande FL . We went straight out the shipping channel. There is some good advice regarding waves and weather above. One thing I will mention is that you will be navigating at night and you must be careful unlighted, un-marked (oil) stand pipes and other obstructions to navigation. We went on a full moon just because of that issue and it worked out well. It was five days for us with five on board. Use radar.

Yes, Ive sailed past many unlit things in the oil patch at night...once a large diameter pipe cut off just above the surface...just happened to see it in the moonlight just few feet to starboard!

For transiting the oil patch if heading offshore, I like to run the edge of the charted saftey fairways. This keeps you out of most of the obstructions and activities of the patch itself and out of the way of the big commercial traffic too.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

For transiting the oil patch if heading offshore, I like to run the edge of the charted saftey fairways. This keeps you out of most of the obstructions and activities of the patch itself and out of the way of the big commercial traffic too.[/QUOTE]

And head way out to the southeast before you turn east; get into deeper water and you don't have to worry about unlit abandoned wells.