How Close to Shore Is Too Close While Hove-to ?

[oldman66]

Takes for your post and info. There is not a time for us after we leave and get away from the cold. Neither myself or the crew has a schedule to keep. Just getting out before we get trapped in. I will remember Hatteras in October. How is it in the middle of Nov?

[Tia Bu]

Originally Posted by oldman66

Takes for your post and info. There is not a time for us after we leave and get away from the cold. Neither myself or the crew has a schedule to keep. Just getting out before we get trapped in. I will remember Hatteras in October. How is it in the middle of Nov?

Hatteras is a strange combination of geography, weather patterns, cold and warm currents colliding, the bottom contours, no place to run for shelter.... Many years ago I sailed south past it offshore, just inside the Gulf Stream. We had a good weather window. But I remember the squally weather and blocky seas that seemingly came from nowhere as we got to Hatteras.

In the years since, I've seen a couple of gales first-hand from the sound side of the Outer Banks. Holy cow. That's weather you just don't see other places. That's why I don't think I'd go offshore around Hatteras in the fall. But plenty of folks do, I think. Donald Street used to say the only way he would sail past Hatteras was 200 miles to the East (outside the Gulf Stream) or 50 miles to the west (in the ICW).

The ICW from Norfolk to Beaufort, NC might be a good way to go.

[oldman66]

In my earlier posts I mention the advise of a frequent traveler of the ICW. He was very much of the opinon that Beauort was the best choice of routes. I have no desire to test a new boat (to me new 1984) in bad weather with an unknown crew. If this is mind is boring I would be very pleased.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by oldman66

In my earlier posts I mention the advise of a frequent traveler of the ICW. He was very much of the opinon that Beauort was the best choice of routes. I have no desire to test a new boat (to me new 1984) in bad weather with an unknown crew. If this is mind is boring I would be very pleased.

Better alive and bored than dead bored...

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by oldman66

Carina...There is not an urgency to get there . It is getting out before we get trapped in. If it takes 20-40 days I have no problem. This crew, such as we are at this time of 2, and a strong 1/2 way there guy.We have all time time in the world getting there . We want to be out of the old . That might be SC for us. After that it will make it a pleasure cruice of high adventures.

You don't have to worry about being "trapped in" in southern waters. What you should be prepared for is storms and stronger winds, because the fronts do come down to the south -- sometimes all the way through the Bahamas. Personally I think staying close enough to the coast to find shelter if needed isn't a bad idea, although some stretches (for instance, along the northern cost of Florida below the Panhandle) has very few "hidey holes." But these are transient weather systems. Get into shore, wait them out, and explore the local area until things clear up.

Those fronts are usually preticted several days in advence, so goo weather information is esssential. In other words, in the spring and summer, the danger is hurricanes. In the late fall and early (and late) winter -- it's fronts from the north.

Both are predicted well now.

[oldman66]

Trapped in Maryland is want I meant to say. I don't want to be wet with hard and cold rain.

[oldjags]

I would take Zee's advice about the weather in the gulf. This time of year, it's better to work your way north staying closer to shore rather than just head off WNW from Key West. Doing that is almost guaranteed to put you through a frontal system.

North from Key West to Sanibel is only 1 night, and you're not more than 50 miles offshore at the most. Then from Cedar Key over to Carrabelle is the only other exposed crossing. For both of those you can just wait for a favorable weather window.

I tried doing the rhumb line course across the gulf from Tampa to New Orleans back in May of 1984, and only 100 miles out, a cold front came through. Before we left, it had looked so weak it didn't even have much of a cloud front on the satellite images, so we figured it was no big deal.

But , it strengthened when it hit the gulf, and we found ourselves at midnight in 55 knot winds and 20 foot breaking seas.

At dawn we turned around and headed back to Tampa as we had no jacklines, no tethers, no harnesses, a VHF that would receive but not transmit, and a Loran with the middle two digits burned out on the display. In addition, one crewman was lying on the cockpit sole wallowing in his own vomit, and another was paralyzed by fear and totally unable to function.

I hate to think how bad a strong cold front could get.

[zeehag]

oldjag--try when noaa predicts EXTREME frontal system-- gets nasty. how we got shipwrecked in st andrews bay in exhausted state, despite being overly familiar with the area.
66--try using icw--your yorkie masts should fit under bridges--just make sure depth sounder works, as hank DID make em 6 ft drafts. you shoul be fine---and take GOOD
care of my friend louis--he is a great friend. he is looking forward to this trip--bagging on me that i am MAKING him do it..LOL--i just wish i could go too...

[oldman66]

What a post and experience to have. It's pretty much down hill from there after that for them poor boys. The good thing is they lived through it, and realized the boat will save them if they hang on. I just hope I have the same resolve of this opionon when it's my turn.I am making paper copies of all good post for references. this is on them. thanks

[oldman66]

Zee I wish you could be with us. What a real hoot that would be. Louis sounded excited. We talked for 30 mins. I am searching for the complete route from Maryland to Houston if there is one. I googled quite a bit for it and came away with a lot of statements of going out and back in because of the mast height. Once I find all the specs on the ICW I will use the ICW as much as I can.

[oldman66]

Zee as you know Louis has time commitments. I want him on board. I will make the neccessary adjustment of my voyage to have this happen. I think a stop in Stuart might be the answer. It appears the timing might be right.Also, he might be able to have his time commitment massaged a little and be able to do the whole voyage in one turn.

[zeehag]

try to measure the mast--hank did use shortie in the 41s and 37s he built after 1979.....if really close to 50, get some 50 gallon barrels and use those to tip the boat for under the shorter bridges. you should be just barely ok without-- better safe than sorry. also use boom to help heel boat for the shorter bridges. as with groundings... the barrels will be good way to augment that--saves ye 150 dollars for the guy who uses them to tip your boat in okeechobee......

oh, yes, now that ye have more crew--pleas be taking and posting many pix, as we wanna see how ye do!!!!

[oldman66]

Do you think 4 of the 50 gallons would work. I would have to pump water in. I can't think how to get that much weight up without pumping it into the barrels.

[oldjags]

Originally Posted by oldman66

What a post and experience to have. It's pretty much down hill from there after that for them poor boys. The good thing is they lived through it, and realized the boat will save them if they hang on. I just hope I have the same resolve of this opionon when it's my turn.I am making paper copies of all good post for references. this is on them. thanks

The sad thing was that the two 'crew' who were incapacitated were the new owners of the boat. They had just bought her - a beautiful 35' Vindo - and wanted help delivering her to New Orleans since they were inexperienced sailors. When we finally got back to port and tied up at the dock, they said 'Take her back to the broker and put her back on the market. We don't ever want to see her again'.

It was sad to see their dreams of a cruising life die like that. But it wasn't the boat's fault. She was awesome - inspite of being ill-equiped for an offshore trip. The one thing I learned - well, two things - was that I will not go offshore again without being fully prepared, and that Scopalamine patches actually work!

[capn_billl]

I'm glad you found crew.

If it was up to me this time of year I would spend most of the time in the ICW. Is stepping the mast and using as a power boat an option? That would eliminate all the bridge clearance issues.