Long Island to Bermuda in April, May-What is best time

[MultiCountryDon]

Intend to go from Long Island to Bermuda in April or May, then after a few weeks down to Key West.
Boat is a Moody 40.
What is the best time to go and what advise do you have for me?

Don

[Suijin]

Leave early June. Sail the rhumb line other than picking your way through the Gulf Stream eddies. It’s not more complicated than that.

[belizesailor]

Do a bit more than just pick thru the eddies though, play them to your advantage by catching the favorable side of them (warm eddies rotate clockwise, cold counterclockwise)...can make a big difference.

Having accurate surface temp on your instruments is very useful when playing in the Stream. As is most recent Gulf Stream plots, esp for the eddies.

The warm rising air of the Stream, esp that far north in cooler water/air, creates its own weather too. You can often see the clouds over the axis of the Stream long before you reach it. All that warm rising air can generate localized T'storms or intensify systemic weather.

[waeshael]

The best time is sometime in May when the 500 millibar charts show straight tramlines over the western Atlantic, and there are no surface lows during the passage. Come into the Island from the South which is clear of reefs, but stay offshore until you get to the cut at St. George's on the East side of the Island. Bermuda Harbor Radio will call you 30 miles out and track your progress. Stay away from the Northern end of the Island which has reefs extending more than 10 miles out. Arrive in daylight hours, the entrance can be confusing because there are several lighted channels. Bermuda will extend your visa if you want to stay a while. We stayed six months and is was great.

[TheOffice]

No need to approach from the south during the day. Bermuda radio will guide you and let you know if you are within 3 miles of the reef. Just be sure your plotter has a detailed chart of the island. 180 boats do the Newport Bermuda race every other year and no one comes in from the south.

[Orion Jim]

I start watching for favorable weather predictions starting May 1st. Since I’m only 31’ and singlehanded, I want two or three days of decent weather to get well offshore. Sea room is your friend. I approach the island from northeast and get no closer than thirty miles before making my approach in daylight.
I stay as close to the rhumbline as possible. I have no onboard weather fax so I pay close attention to ground speed vs speed through the water to determine if I’m being adversely affected by an eddy. Pay close attention to your AIS. Set your CPA and make an individual DSC call to a target only if necessary.
Fill out the online Visiting Yachts form and you won’t be bothered with a lot of radio time with Bermuda Radio as you make your approach.
Go over every inch of your boat as though your life depends on it. There’s nothing more satisfying than not having any incidents, of which you are not prepared to handle, occur at sea.

[waeshael]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

No need to approach from the south during the day. Bermuda radio will guide you and let you know if you are within 3 miles of the reef. Just be sure your plotter has a detailed chart of the island. 180 boats do the Newport Bermuda race every other year and no one comes in from the south.

Well some people actually do come in from the South from other ports.


I think that a prudent mariner sailing short handed would not depend upon any electronics to keep him off the reefs. Especially in bad weather.

A fully crewed raceboat with someone on watch all the time and in company of dozens of other yachts is a different matter.

Alone and in the dark approaching Bermuda with no working VHF or GPS (after a lightning storm, or dead batteries) it would be prudent to go south and hang around until daylight before trying to enter the cut to clear in.

And remember that the GPS plotter manufacturer makes you agree not to use the plotter for precise navigation. My plotter wanted to take me right across the middle of an Island near St John.
I have spent many years racing and we did take risks and got away with them, but with a family to take care of I don't take risks. Six years in the Oceans has made me very cautious. I am an electronics communications engineer and know how easy it is for nav equipment to fail.



So I would advise caution, and prudence if I was not racing with a crew.




Cheers


Waeshael