North Carolina to Florida in the Hurricane Season - Routing

[Tday01]

I have a Hylas 54 that I need to get from North Carolina to Tampa in June or July. She's too tall and draws too much to go on the Intracoastal.

Outside hurricane season, I would probably go a littles south, and then make a passage to the Bahamas before turning right. My thought is that this is not a safe plan of action even early in hurricane season, even with a weather router.

Ideas from anybody who has done this welcome!

[Chotu]

It’s going to have more to do with the gulf stream than it is with hurricanes during hurricane season. That’s not an incredibly long trip. Especially in a boat that size that will move right along.

It’s really any strong North component winds that will get you on that trip if you are in the Gulf stream. You should have plenty of visibility of hurricanes starting to form or at least tropical depressions starting to take place.

The other hazard might be the daily afternoon thunderstorms at that time of year. Some of them can be pretty rough.

If timing isn’t a huge issue, why not stay inside the gulf stream where you can just skirt the land a bit so you have a place to duck into if anything gets weird?

[Tday01]

Originally Posted by Chotu

It’s going to have more to do with the gulf stream than it is with hurricanes during hurricane season. That’s not an incredibly long trip. Especially in a boat that size that will move right along.

It’s really any strong North component winds that will get you on that trip if you are in the Gulf stream. You should have plenty of visibility of hurricanes starting to form or at least tropical depressions starting to take place.

The other hazard might be the daily afternoon thunderstorms at that time of year. Some of them can be pretty rough.

If timing isn’t a huge issue, why not stay inside the gulf stream where you can just skirt the land a bit so you have a place to duck into if anything gets weird?

Thanks for that advice. Most of my experience is Cariibbean or West Coast of the US.
That's the dilemma I am suffering from: time vs conservatism. I am tending towards the "stay inside the gulf stream option" vs. going outside and not having an easy bail out option.

[mjscottinnc]

I know that you were looking for routing information... but I just returned from a trip from NC to FL and back. I can't tell you the number of flatbed trailers hauling sailboat heading north I saw. It is an option I'd consider, especially considering the time of year. Pretty much takes all the variables out of the equation.

[s/v Moondancer]

As Chotu writes this trip is most easily accomplished by staying between the gulf stream and the land where there is often a south going countercurrent. In South Florida you need to be on the 100ft line in sight of land to be out of the effects of the gulf stream.

The CG has placed lots of nice red markers to keep you outside any shallows near land all the way to Key West.

[akprb]

Weather router may not be necessary, just watch the local news.

Between land and stream my vote. Duck in when wind goes south ;-)

Short trip on a 54.

[gohawks]

There are lots of good inlets to duck into and several bad to impossible ones. I strongly urge you to buy Dodges Inlet Chartbook to Southeastern United States. Although it is dated, most info hasn't changed that much. you can google each one you are considering for up to date info.

https://www.amazon.com/Inlet-Chartbo...s=books&sr=1-7

[gohawks]

https://www.usharbors.com/harbor/flo...let-fl/weather

[Tday01]

Originally Posted by mjscottinnc

I know that you were looking for routing information... but I just returned from a trip from NC to FL and back. I can't tell you the number of flatbed trailers hauling sailboat heading north I saw. It is an option I'd consider, especially considering the time of year. Pretty much takes all the variables out of the equation.

Just slightly too big, too tall and too wide to make that (economically) viable. Didn't get that exact trip quoted, but Texas to San Francisco was $26k or $44k from two quotes. Plus the cost of stepping and unstepping..

[Seighlor]

It would be an unusual thing to not have a week or more to track any tropical storms approaching the U.S. east coast. My suggestion is to sail a line from your North Carolina departure point to the #2 buoy east of Port Canaveral; then follow the coastline to the Hawk Channel off Miami. Should be an easy sail.

[captmikem]

Originally Posted by mjscottinnc

I know that you were looking for routing information... but I just returned from a trip from NC to FL and back. I can't tell you the number of flatbed trailers hauling sailboat heading north I saw. It is an option I'd consider, especially considering the time of year. Pretty much takes all the variables out of the equation.

Cheaper and easier just to have a house trailer.

In this day of a boat being a place to stay in a marina there are still a few folks who actually sail a boat from one harbor to another. Trucking a seaworthy boat boat up or down the east coast.. I guess that is the modern cruiser.

As to your question, it is an easy sail, two days from Charleston to MIA, but you can make it casual and stop in Savannah, Jax, etc. on the way down. Going out side the stream to go to Florida is a bit crazy unless you wanted to go via the West Indies.

I have had a few boats that were too tall for the intracoastal and sailed up and down the east coast many times during June to November without a problem, just be wx smart and go enjoy the trip.

M

[hellosailor]

Tday-
Lay out your course options, all your options. Bahamas, inshore, whatever. Then go over then carefully to see how much ground you can cover is 3 days, 5 days. Including the Gulf Stream and the predominant wind patterns.
And from there, KEEP all those options. As a convenient time comes around, see what kind of weather windows are being forecast. Sometimes you can go for a months with "unsettled" "uncertainty" "developing" every 3-4 days, and you don't need that. When you get a window that is a good 36-48 hours longer than the route you want to take? Go for it. Let an adequate weather window be the deciding factor.

[flyingfin]

Easy to stay between the shore and Gulf Stream, especially north of Sebastian Inlet where the GS swerves far off-shore to go around Cape Canaveral. In June, a reverse current runs along the shore which you can ride south. Just follow the water temperature 3 to 6 miles offshore to find it.
But do NOT enter Sebastian Inlet, swift current and fixed bridge right at the inlet! However, there are several deep and well marked inlets along the Florida coast route which include Fernandina, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Port Fierce, Lake Worth and Lauderdale.

[billknny]

Just to be contrarian, I ran the route of NC to MIA through my weather router using the forecasts for the next two weeks. EVERY optimum route crossed the stream and came back in west of the Bahamas.

From NC to FtL or MIA crossing the stream heading SSE and then west of the Bahamas is very close to the rhumb line course. Going along the coast is significantly longer in seamiles.

It's a 4.5 day trip. Worrying about sudden, unforecast, popup weather really isn't very realistic. FtL is probably the better break point for a boat that size, with more options for places to pull in.

You have a big, strong, seaworthy boat. Watch your weather ahead of time, pick a window, and go.

[Scotty Kiwi]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

As Chotu writes this trip is most easily accomplished by staying between the gulf stream and the land where there is often a south going countercurrent. In South Florida you need to be on the 100ft line in sight of land to be out of the effects of the gulf stream.

The CG has placed lots of nice red markers to keep you outside any shallows near land all the way to Key West.

'scuse my ignorance - what is the "100ft line"?

(I hope to be sailing in that area one day)