Florida straits crossing

[mario f]

Greetings all,
Looking for weather window to cross Florida straits, headed south from Naples,fl to Cuba Dec or Jan
Any insights, tips or ideas greatly appreciated. Favorable winds, night, day.
47 ft ketch and two crew. Having little luck receiving C Parker at my location for weather.
Thank you

I guess you can not edit tittle , Florida straits crossing

[GordMay]

It’s best to wait for a good weather window that ensures a southern breeze of no more than 15 knots. It’s also best if you can cross a day after the winds have been blowing from the south or southeast and while they’re still blowing from the south. Crossing with strong northerlies must be avoided ("wind against stream"), as they can create dangerous conditions.

See ➥ http://www.waterwayguide.com/latest-...m-keys-to-cuba

[Hudson Force]

I would be tempted to select a crossing from the Dry Tortugas in order to have a better current vector.

[mario f]

Are north winds against the current?
In the Florida straits east winds, no?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by mario f

Are north winds against the current?
In the Florida straits east winds, no?

Right, I noticed that reference too. The north wind is often mentioned as a problem for crossing to the Bahamas, but the current is set to the east between the Florida Keys and Cuba and and an east wind would be the problem condition.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I would be tempted to select a crossing from the Dry Tortugas in order to have a better current vector.

The Dry Tortugas is a nice place to visit also. Fort Jefferson is is really cool. No water there but you can get lunch on the high speed tour boat that brings guests out every day. Good anchorages.

[RandomTravels]

I just watched the recording of Bob Williams webinar on this subject from SSCA. Well worth the $20 if you are serious about making this trip.

[hellosailor]

Grab December, assuming you are a US citizen. According to our next president, he's going to have Cuba towed out to the Marianas Trench and sunk, unless all the new deals are renegotiated to make him happy. Oh, and he'll make all the tourists help with the towing. More or less. So, you know, waiting for January and the new guy takes office....kinda dicey.

[mario f]

We had DryTortugas as a possibility, but seems quite shallow all around for anchoring with my 6ft draft.
Looked at active Capt. and charts, and still somewhat ambivalent. We carry 178 fuel, 285 water + water maker, solar, wind, genset, so amenities not an issue.
As far as the politics...reserve comments in this land of the free...😙
Another option was from BootKey to Veradero.
Still open to suggestions and ideas from those that have made this crossing.
As always, thank you for your input.
Regards,
Mario

[Hud3]

Here's a link to the NWS Ocean Prediction Center website which has 3-day predictions of Gulf of Mexico currents, including the Gulf Stream. Hope you find it helpful.

Ocean Prediction Center - Product Loops

Here's a screen shot...
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