Advisability Sailing to Bimini in December on a Potter

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by BZT54

BZT
PS Can you say that about your boat?

Are you going to be wizzing overboard during this contest?

The thread is now 75 posts long, roughly 20% of them are you, off topic and contrary to nearly every sailor on the planet, saying his boat won't sail 50 miles and cross a wide but entirely predictable current between him and his destination.

We get it, you left Florida ahead of a front and got tossed around a bit. We get it, your boat is tough. We get it, it can happen to other sailors... who leave Florida ahead of a front.

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[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

Serious question. What is the better time of year? I thought most of the cruising fleet crossed during December and January.

Thanks


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I've had my best weather and easiest crossings in late spring, say april may june. But good weather windows can occur almost anytime. We once returned from the bahamas in a dead calm that lasted a full day and had been preceded by a week of terrible crossing weather - in january.

Go figure...

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[s/vfootloose]

bzt, I only have a sparrow compared to your eagle, but I would not presume that a person who chooses to do something when properly prepared that I don't have a big enough pair to do is either foolish or stupid. Remember opinions are like a$$holes everyone has one and yours stinks. You seem to try to insult anyone who doesn't agree with you.
On to the OP. I live in Ft. Lauderdale and wouldn't do this trip with only a week. You can make it over and back in a week with a good weather window but why? You wont have time but to sail over and back and have much time to do anything else. I would take the boat to the keys and sail to the Dry Tortugas or just sail the keys with your time available. Your boat is fine to make it to the Bahamas with the proper weather window but I would wait until I had the time to do it right.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Capt Doug

Now that I have read all the posts, the only other advice I might offer is "BZT just sit on your boat at the dock forever" much safer that way.

BZT reminds me of a "sailor" I met in marsh harbor. He was on a Tartan 30, a perfectly capable bahamas cruiser. But he had read a sailing book that told him he should never singlehand his boat. So he sat in marsh harbor, unwilling to even sail or motor the 4 miles to hopetown or man'o'war until he could find crew to go with him. Apparently the crew that helped him bring it to marsh had to fly home.

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[Capt Doug]

Well yall are right, to much wizzing overboard (sidenote most drownings are found with foul weather gear unzipped) and yes BZT I can say that about my boat. It has sailed to the Chesapeake, sailed to Bermuda, sailed to the Bahamas, sailed to Mexico, up and down both coasts of Florida. I'm not sure if I had anything to do other than just ride along, even by my lonesome on occasion. I have been in the marine industry for quite a few years. The scariest people are the ones that show up and say "I want a Kudzu 500 and am going to sail around the world". I fear the day when the same people show up at a air facility, and buy a plane and start flying it(with out lessons) because the Aerowhiz is the best plane there is..................

NUFF said

[BZT54]

Originally Posted by Fiveslide

Are you going to be wizzing overboard during this contest?

The thread is now 75 posts long, roughly 20% of them are you, off topic and contrary to nearly every sailor on the planet, saying his boat won't sail 50 miles and cross a wide but entirely predictable current between him and his destination.

We get it, you left Florida ahead of a front and got tossed around a bit. We get it, your boat is tough. We get it, it can happen to other sailors... who leave Florida ahead of a front.

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No pissing contest here just some differing opinions. However, your math seems to be pretty good (taught math for 22 years) but your reading comprehension is, what can I say, Middle School.

Face it, me playing the devils advocate or should I say Murphy's is actually a breath of fresh air in a usually non contentious overly tame forum. Some like me love to stir the pot, while others like you prefer.... is it milk toast?

PS Btw, if you're bored you can leave at anytime.

[BZT54]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

BZT reminds me of a "sailor" I met in marsh harbor. He was on a Tartan 30, a perfectly capable bahamas cruiser. But he had read a sailing book that told him he should never singlehand his boat. So he sat in marsh harbor, unwilling to even sail or motor the 4 miles to hopetown or man'o'war until he could find crew to go with him. Apparently the crew that helped him bring it to marsh had to fly home.

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My oh my, another one with Middle School level reading comprehension.

Now you know why I left education....

BZT

[BZT54]

Originally Posted by s/vfootloose

bzt, I only have a sparrow compared to your eagle, but I would not presume that a person who chooses to do something when properly prepared that I don't have a big enough pair to do is either foolish or stupid. Remember opinions are like a$$holes everyone has one and yours stinks. You seem to try to insult anyone who doesn't agree with you.
On to the OP. I live in Ft. Lauderdale and wouldn't do this trip with only a week. You can make it over and back in a week with a good weather window but why? You wont have time but to sail over and back and have much time to do anything else. I would take the boat to the keys and sail to the Dry Tortugas or just sail the keys with your time available. Your boat is fine to make it to the Bahamas with the proper weather window but I would wait until I had the time to do it right.

Do I detect someone with a thin skin? As far as my a$$hole goes, it would have been best not to kiss and tell. Now our secrets out?

BZT

[Jim Cate]

Breath of fresh air? Sounds kinda self-laudatory to me. Others have found it more like a fart in a broom closet...

Pot stirring is all very well, when based on reasonable fact. Your repeated condemnation of the WWP in the face of some well documented voyages fails that test.

I think most of us have said that the boat is ok if the skipper is ok, but that the schedule is not ok. Further, experienced Florida skippers seem to feel that your definition of Blue Water is flawed. I'm not familiar with those waters and won't comment except to say that many coastal areas can develop severe sea conditions at times. My old stompin' grounds of the Gulf of the Farralones is a good example. However, since the distances off shore are small, and wx predictions are pretty damn good these days, the ephemeral "Blue Water" label is denied these areas. I'd guess that this proposed voyage fails most "Blue Water" tests. You are welcome to define it however you wish, of course.

So, I'm not sure what benefit your pot stirring has for the OP or the Forum. Perhaps you should rethink your parameters if you are attempting to be beneficial.

Jim

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by BZT54

My oh my, another one with Middle School level reading comprehension.

Now you know why I left education....

BZT

Sounds more like education left you...

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[BZT54]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Breath of fresh air? Sounds kinda self-laudatory to me. Others have found it more like a fart in a broom closet...

Pot stirring is all very well, when based on reasonable fact. Your repeated condemnation of the WWP in the face of some well documented voyages fails that test.

I think most of us have said that the boat is ok if the skipper is ok, but that the schedule is not ok. Further, experienced Florida skippers seem to feel that your definition of Blue Water is flawed. I'm not familiar with those waters and won't comment except to say that many coastal areas can develop severe sea conditions at times. My old stompin' grounds of the Gulf of the Farralones is a good example. However, since the distances off shore are small, and wx predictions are pretty damn good these days, the ephemeral "Blue Water" label is denied these areas. I'd guess that this proposed voyage fails most "Blue Water" tests. You are welcome to define it however you wish, of course.

So, I'm not sure what benefit your pot stirring has for the OP or the Forum. Perhaps you should rethink your parameters if you are attempting to be beneficial.

Jim

Jim, never condemned the Potter, only said that it's a bit too small and squirrelly to go across in my opinion, documented voyages or not.

As far a Blue Water is concerned, it's more a reference to the risks the stream presents particularly for a small boat. Whether you dismiss the Stream as Blue Water is irrelevant to this discussion. The risks are ever present and its reputation for swallowing boats speaks for itself.

But I got to hand it to ya, "fart in a broom closet".... I have to file that one away.

BZzzzzzzzt... its time for me and my Teddy to go to bed.

Oh, one more thing. Don't worry about whether or not my pot stirring is beneficial. Believe me, the OP is thoroughly enjoying this. Almost as much as you.

[RTB]

Well, after four Gulf Stream crossings in four different months, it really isn't hard to get a window with winds less than 15, and seas 2-3' or less. Does this look scary to anyone? Our first crossing to Bimini in the Stream-



Don't we all know not to cross with a north wind, and wait a day or two after a frontal passage to allow things to calm down? I mean, it's a day sail to Bimini, after all.

Our crossing from No Name Harbor to Great Harbor in the Berry's on December 15-16 last year was a nice crossing. Once there, we did have to wait almost two weeks to get a window to cross to Nassau, so I agree with everyone that says getting a two-way window within a week would be pretty rare that time of the year.

Actually, thunderstorms in spring/early summer worry me more, so in my eyes a bit riskier than winter crossings. Those cold fronts are forecast way in advance. Just my 2 cents.

Ralph
Bahamas again! | sailing away with R & B

[BZT54]

Originally Posted by RTB

Well, after four Gulf Stream crossings in four different months, it really isn't hard to get a window with winds less than 15, and seas 2-3' or less. Does this look scary to anyone? Our first crossing to Bimini in the Stream-

Attachment 86117

Don't we all know not to cross with a north wind, and wait a day or two after a frontal passage to allow things to calm down? I mean, it's a day sail to Bimini, after all.

Our crossing from No Name Harbor to Great Harbor in the Berry's on December 15-16 last year was a nice crossing. Once there, we did have to wait almost two weeks to get a window to cross to Nassau, so I agree with everyone that says getting a two-way window within a week would be pretty rare that time of the year.

Actually, thunderstorms in spring/early summer worry me more, so in my eyes a bit riskier than winter crossings. Those cold fronts are forecast way in advance. Just my 2 cents.

Ralph
Bahamas again! | sailing away with R & B

OR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMwx1gYyFLw

You will have to run this clip in YouTube. Just do a Google search

saiiboat hellish crossing gulf stream

April 2007

OP, make sure you read the comments...

BZT

[RTB]

As the video says - Morning following a proper Noreaster....

Sorry. All the cruisers that I have met would not be crossing to Bimini with that weather window. But, I guess you would blame it on "MURPHY", which seems to find his name in so many of your posts......

Do you think everyone here is an idiot?

Ralph

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by BZT54

You will have to run this clip in YouTube. Just do a Google search

saiiboat hellish crossing gulf stream

April 2007

OP, make sure you read the comments...

BZT

Watched the video long enough to hear this was 100 miles off Charleston and the day following a nor'easter.

You can post 1000 examples of storms, nor'easters, cold fronts or whatever in the Gulf Stream and all that proves is something we all know and agree on, the Gulf Stream is nasty in the wrong weather. Weather that is well forecast and easily avoidable in a crossing to Bimini from FL.

I would note that 100 miles out in the open Atlantic from Charleston has nothing to do with 50 miles total from FL to the Bahamas.

So once again as almost every single person that has posted on this thread has said "don't go out in the Gulf Stream before, during or after a front." By the way, the same advice applies whether you are sailing a WWP 19 or a even heavy, full keel, double ender.

One more time now, follow that very simple rule and you won't get hammered in the Gulf Stream.

Well at the risk of being obvious but for sake of being thorough I guess I have to add don't go out in the middle of a hurricane or major thunderstorm either.