Trip Planning - Miami Area to Hilton Head and then to Essex CT

[vasuvius]

My brother in law is looking at buying a Catalina 36 in Florida and I've offered to help sail it up to CT where he will keep the boat.
Depending on how much free time I have (he is retired and has all the time), we may break up the trip into 2.
Sail from Miami area to Hilton Head and then onto Essex CT or sail directly all the way.
I imagine once we get up to NJ area, we'll duck into NY harbor and then go up the East River to the LI sound.

He has been sailing / boating for 30+ years - mostly in the LI sound. I'm a newbie with a year of experience and just completed the ASA 106.

I'm trying to help plan the trip - Just downloaded all the charts into OpenCPN, and the Pilot charts to look at the wind and current information. Looks like the current should be favorable April through June/July.

I'm looking for planning advice.

I've looked at the pilot charts to get details on prevailing winds. OpenCPN is not the easiest tool to use unless you carefully download just the few charts you need.

Any other tools I can use ?

Would it make sense to go offshore and then make a straight line up and do it in one trip ? Looks like in Apr there will still be N and NE winds, but it we wait till late May, the SW winds will help, but the current will be less.
Trying to figure out optimal current and wind conditions.
(Please bear with me, I'm new)

I'm definitely going to get a couple more friends with sailing skills to go along as I feel that we need at least 4 on the boat.

Thanks,V

[psk125]

You might find the temperature in April a lot colder than you'd like. Especially if you're heading North. Is the current you refer to the Gulf Stream? It is likely to be there for a while, despite reports of its getting weaker. Making a long-haul trip in a new-to-you-and-your-brother boat is not generally recommended. It might be a good idea to do some shorter hops first so you can learn the boat and make sure everything is working properly before stretching the legs out. Problems like broken impellers, clogged filters or ripped sails may cause you to make pit stops anyway. If you plan ahead of time to make them, it removes the pressures of last minute decisions in the midst of an "emergency" on where to put in. Your crew helpers can rotate in (or out) more easily if there are more stops too, to fit their schedules better.

[tls30]

V, weather will likely be your main deciding factor on route and how quickly you make it up to NC. You don't want to travel North in the Gulf Stream with North winds. The seas will stack up quick and make for an awful ride that will make you question why you are even thinking about this exciting and fun trip. If weather doesn't look good and you want to make some headway, using the Intercoastal is an option. Lowest bridge is just north of Miami, once at Ft Lauderdale minimum non-lifting is 65' clear up to GA. After that I'm not sure. Bascule bridges are frequent until you get north of West Palm, so don't plan on making more than 40km during daylight in the ICW through that section. Good luck with the trip, and enjoy the experience - don't push it to make a date.

[flyingfin]

Dont leave until after cinco de mayo,,,,the fronts dont make it to Florida and they are weakened when they do hit the Carolinas. The gulf stream will be warmer and starting to calm down and carry you north quickly

[vasuvius]

All very good advice. I clearly didn't think of the opposing wind on the current direction in April. And yes, it will take some time to get used to the idiosyncrasies of the boat and initial set of issues. Perhaps a good idea to take it easy the first few days and stay close.

[wizoc]

Unless you want to go up the sound once you reach NJ consider going outside. It is faster and once you round Montauk it's easy to get to the river up to Essex.

[Scubaseas]

Originally Posted by vasuvius

My brother in law is looking at buying a Catalina 36 in Florida and I've offered to help sail it up to CT where he will keep the boat.
Depending on how much free time I have (he is retired and has all the time), we may break up the trip into 2.
Sail from Miami area to Hilton Head and then onto Essex CT or sail directly all the way.
I imagine once we get up to NJ area, we'll duck into NY harbor and then go up the East River to the LI sound.

He has been sailing / boating for 30+ years - mostly in the LI sound. I'm a newbie with a year of experience and just completed the ASA 106.

I'm trying to help plan the trip - Just downloaded all the charts into OpenCPN, and the Pilot charts to look at the wind and current information. Looks like the current should be favorable April through June/July.

I'm looking for planning advice.

I've looked at the pilot charts to get details on prevailing winds. OpenCPN is not the easiest tool to use unless you carefully download just the few charts you need.

Any other tools I can use ?

Would it make sense to go offshore and then make a straight line up and do it in one trip ? Looks like in Apr there will still be N and NE winds, but it we wait till late May, the SW winds will help, but the current will be less.
Trying to figure out optimal current and wind conditions.
(Please bear with me, I'm new)

I'm definitely going to get a couple more friends with sailing skills to go along as I feel that we need at least 4 on the boat.

Thanks,V

I'd go in May also. Too cold in April.
Add PredictWind to your tool kit. And a copy of Eldridge and a Coast Pilot.
If you have time go the LI sound route. If not go outside around Montauk.
If you plan on using the Stream stay on the West side and have bailout ports in mind. You do not want to be in the Stream if there is any northerly component to the wind. Way too lumpy, worse than LI Sound with wind opposite tide.

[bensolomon]

Definitely stay outside past New Jersey and round Montauk. You will need an Eldredge pilot book for sure!!!

[cottonsail]

Add AquaMaps.

[NormanMartin]

I am planning a USVI to Newport trip in late April though I have made similar to your trips before.
Later is better.
Go in at Beaufort/Morehead City and take the ditch to Newport. Hatteras is a bitch. Mast Height has to be under 65 ft. It is a lovely trip.
Easy in/out ports are Jax, Chastn, Wilmington/Bald Head Island and Beaufort.
Newport to Atlantic City is OK. No other good entrances, maybe Cape May which is shallow.
Fair winds, go outside Long Island otherwise go inside.

It will be cold! Cold water flows south along coast north of Hatteras.

[cottonsail]

Originally Posted by NormanMartin

I am planning a USVI to Newport trip in late April though I have made similar to your trips before.
Later is better.
Go in at Beaufort/Morehead City and take the ditch to Newport. Hatteras is a bitch. Mast Height has to be under 65 ft. It is a lovely trip.
Easy in/out ports are Jax, Chastn, Wilmington/Bald Head Island and Beaufort.
Newport to Atlantic City is OK. No other good entrances, maybe Cape May which is shallow.
Fair winds, go outside Long Island otherwise go inside.

It will be cold! Cold water flows south along coast north of Hatteras.

You can enter Cape May from the Atlantic and anchor. There's a 55" RR bridge on the Cape May canal going to Delaware bay.

[sowwaninii]

I’ve made that trip multiple times. You’re fortunate that your mast height and draft allows you the option to stay inside if the weather is unfavorable. The only spot where you’ll have to go outside is from Cape May to either NYC or Block Island/Essex. As others have said, the weather will dictate your route. I’ve gone outside Hatteras a dozen times and never had any problems. The caveat being favorable weather. You could go from Norfolk to the C+D canal and then head for Cape May. From Cape May you could head for NYC. I’ve made the trip up the East River to LIS multiple times and always get a kick going by the Statue of Liberty, the UN, etc. Just make sure you check the tide before entering the East River, as the current is pretty extreme, particularly around Hell Gate.

[vasuvius]

Sadly, the whole plan fell apart :-(