Is December a good time to cross atlantic?

[Dauntlessny]

Originally Posted by CaptRory

If you are serious about this, purchase Jimmy Cornell's book. https://www.amazon.com/World-Cruisin.../dp/0957262647

Yep. If you are going to cross any ocean, you need this book.

[Dauntlessny]

Originally Posted by Emouchet

You may want to track the 5640m profile contour on NOAA 500mb weather chart.

5640m is basically the south contour of the storms track over altantic / pacific ocean.

if you stay south of the 5640m contour, you will get no more than Force 8 (!) wind in winter, and F6 wind in summer.

And even on the 1 Nov, the 564 ht will be as far south as 35N.
.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Hi Boaty,

Sounds to me like you got lucky with the winds. I have almost never seen southerly winds in that part of the world. Summers especially farther south (like the southern Caribbean), the trades are often ESE-SE but winters and especially farther north like the Bahamas most often from E to NE which makes it tough to make easting.

Hey Skip..
I was staying S of 30 as much as possible sometimes down as far as 26N when a blow was going through to the N.. was covered in a thread back in 2014.
Winds have changed a lot tho'.. Back in 2001 to 2007 once across the stream N of SXM where it was E and ESE the winds went more to the S giving beam and later broard reaches which had me running for the Azores sometimes under genoa alone.. great sailing.
Since 2010 tho it been changing with the E'lies are reaching futher N and W than in the past.. my last few crossings have had the E'liesfurther W and N of Bermuda.. eg the ESE that drove me from 150nm SSE of Bermuda to 500nm NE of it.. sustained 25kts for 3 days.. and it stayed E after it died down.. I was closer to Nova Scotia than the Azores..

[MartinR]

With a 57´Bruce Roberts all options are on the table. Close-hauled in the trades with a boat this size is not uncomfortable, and you get a lot of cooling breeze. Storm in the Atlantic, uncomfortable, but that is it. Where in Brazil do you want to go? It is a big country.

[Paul Howard]

Depends on where in Brazil you hope to go. I have sailed the coast of Brazil four times, once going south, three times going north.

My sailing route reference, in addition to the Jimmy Cornell volume, is the Admiralty publication, Ocean Passages for the World, giving sailing directions for the old time sailing ships. Following those directions you will normally be no closer than 60degrees to the wind.

I have found that, in general, the NE trades are weaker along the South American coast than in the Caribbean, though the area is prone to rain squalls in the January to June time. Advice differs when going south from the Caribbean, some say you should stay close to the shallow coast and tack back and forth where the current is weakest. The Admiralty publication states you should tack offshore during the day and inshore during the night to take advantage of the land and sea breezes in this time of light and variable winds. Do not go into water deeper than 55metres.
The disadvantage of this inshore route is that there are many small fishing boats with drift nets inshore. The boats often have no lights or a weak light and the 'stick with a black flag' end of net markers are not lit.

Once south of Natale, near Cabo Sao Roque, the wind and current is favourable going south.

Our favourite ports were Natale, Cabedello/Pria de Jacare (crocodile beach), Rio de Janiero (stay on the Niteroi side and take the ferry boat across the estuary), the Bay Islands south of Rio, best was Salvadore de Bahia and estuary, Rio Grande de sur (very interesting oceanographic institute and college doing marine research), etc.
There are a few good guide books for the Brazilian coast.
Brazil is a great country to visit.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by Emouchet

You may want to track the 5640m profile contour on NOAA 500mb weather chart.

5640m is basically the south contour of the storms track over altantic / pacific ocean.

if you stay south of the 5640m contour, you will get no more than Force 8 (!) wind in winter, and F6 wind in summer.

Hurricane Oscar might not agree with that statement.

[widmn]

Originally Posted by MartinR

With a 57´Bruce Roberts all options are on the table. Close-hauled in the trades with a boat this size is not uncomfortable, and you get a lot of cooling breeze. Storm in the Atlantic, uncomfortable, but that is it. Where in Brazil do you want to go? It is a big country.

Going to Aracaju, SE

[dfelsent]

Originally Posted by lordgeoff

A good start is to read Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Routes........

I did west to east in July from NY to Lisbon. and

East to West in April Canaries to Caribbean.

Both were lovely trips.

Would not consider winter crossing at all even in the Queen Mary.....

Clearing out from NY, Customs said to be very careful. Historically there have been hurricanes in every month.

Once you start the crossing your options are limitedI. ie Zip

Azores is absolutely wonderful.

My mom did a winter crossing aboard the first Queen Mary about 60 years ago when she was 16. She said that she and an elderly woman sat together every evening for dinner because no other passengers were in the dining room.

[Otia]

Originally Posted by widmn

So How long roughly to slog From Jacksonville to Brazil via the caribbean this time of year given the currents and winds?. The boat is a 57' Bruce Robert.

Not an easy route.
You would have to follow the equatorial counter current heading towards the tip of West Africa, beating close to the wind, until you are east enough to catch the Brazil current. Lots of fun in the doldrums with their known instability.

[chuckr]

Not sure what you want to do - sail -- cruise -- dream? what?


We sailed south from Jamaica (we had sailed over from the western carib) and then gradually worked our way south to Trini - we prepped the boat for a crossing - got a lot of info from Med cruisers who had come over and then we sailed back to Antigua and left 1st of May for the Azores - we did not go to Bermuda - when we passed it we were 500nm or so east of it - we had 3 days of 30-35k and 2 days of 26-28k - and had a good sail -


BUT we did a lot of planning and looking at wx charts and watched the wx in the Atlantic and the fronts coming across the USA - you had better be able to do weather and be able to get wx offshore so you can adjust accordingly -


from what it sounds like you are more dreaming than planning - just my opinion

[argonauta1]

Get Cornell's World Cruising Routes:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JVAGDQ0..._wNY1BbTV4DVAT

Consult NOONSITE: https://www.noonsite.com

Your ideas indicate complete lack of research. Opinions are just that. Do some Homework using the above links. Generally, the only Trans At route to do in December is westbound from the Canaries using the tried and true route: Head south until the butter melts then head west. Cornell has it all.

[jbrasseul]

Best time from West to East, Florida or Bahamas to Bermuda and Azores is May-June. Best time from East to West, from continental Europe to the Caribbean or Brazil is October-December. October from Southern Europe to the Canaries and Cabo Verde islands, December from there to the Caribbean with the trade winds.
The Azores in the Fall or Winter time is too high North, bad weather.

[atlantical]

About twenty years ago, I asked pretty much the same question, it was to leave Jacksonville Florida in December, on a 35 foot boat, and sail to the UK. I got two idiots with RYA yachts master qualifications telling me it was no problem, they could do it. They both got off of the boat in Bermuda and flew home, as by then, they had realised, they couldn't do it. The only reason they offered to do that crossing, was they knew so little about it. We got knocked down once before we even got to Bermuda, and that was to be the quiet part of the crossing. In December, sailing in the North Atlantic going West to East is sailing against the Gods, and they won't let you cross. It May June July for that crossing. Too late for winter storms, and too early for Hurricanes.

[seeman]

Depend on the size of your boat,North Atlantic Ocean in Winter season could be very hard.

http://www.kp44.org/ftp/PilotCharts/NorthAtlantic/NorthAtlanticPilotChart__Pub_106_Dec.pdf

Suggest to check the Pilot Chart on above link.