Annapolis to the Keys in January

[donradcliffe]

With an 8 ft draft, I usually made 3 jumps when the weather is right. First Norfolk to Beaufort, second stop Charleston, third stop St Augustine., third stop Ft Lauderdale.

You need to watch the cold fronts, which can go pretty far south. I've sailed from Charleston to St Augustine in December when the daytime high was low 30s, and the nighttime low was mid 20s. Once you get past West Palm, things warm up a lot.

Key West is limited for an 8 ft draft. There were were only a few places to anchor out of the channels with more than 10 ft of water, and the holding was crappy in the Northers.

I preferred the Cancun/Islas Mujeres area as a destination.

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I don't have a month!

If you do this trip on a schedule, any time of year, but especially in winter there is the distinct possibility of some serious pain…

Cross the stream or not… let’s everybody repeat after me: It depends!

Sometimes the weather favors one, sometimes the other. The idea the that one is always good and the other always bad is silly. We do this a lot, and have done it both ways depending on the weather at the time. We let experience and routing results guide our choice.

I am actually just finishing a passage down this route, sailing in 25 knots from the NW off Charleston. It has been blowing 20 to 30 out of the NW since Cape Henry. We have been following the coast whole way, and it has been a fast fun trip. In any conditions we’d be out here, it is perfectly safe to cross the shoals of each of the Capes. We more or less follow the 10 fathom line.

[Kettlewell]

With an 8 ft draft, I usually made 3 jumps when the weather is right. First Norfolk to Beaufort, second stop Charleston, third stop St Augustine., third stop Ft Lauderdale.

Is it safe to take an 8ft draft in the St. Augustine inlet?

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I don't have a month! I would like to do it nonstop if possible, at least to, say, Miami. Norfolk to Miami is only about 750 miles, a bit over 4 days at our typical 180mi/day in this boat, and could be less with a good wind.


That assumes, however, a 4 day weather window, which may be a big assumption.

All possible in theory, however you might wait a month for such a window.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Tin Tin

It is going to be cold, I would take it down to Norfolk, VA and wait for a 2 day weather window to Beaufort, then wait (if required) for another 2 day window to Charleston. It will be warmer , but again day hop weather windows hugging the coast to Florida. It might take a month, don't be in a hurry.

It might be hard for him to find a slip for that big of a boat though, but he could anchor at Kiptopeke behind the cement ships.

If the wind is Northerly, it's well protected there and he could take his dinghy ashore and walk the trails on nice days plus use the shower and bathrooms at the park. They may not be heated though.

It's unprotected for strong Southerly or Southeasterly winds unless you get in real close to the ships which I do but my boat is inexpensive and built like a tank.

Depth is about 15'-18' behind the sunken ships and stays 10' or so up pretty close to the beach.

To leave, he could use the Northern or Chesapeake (shipping) Channel over the North side tunnel of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. (CBBT)

Just have to be careful with Latimer Shoal but probably not a problem as he would not be too close to it.

The big pilings at Kiptopeke were for the ferries that were used before the bridge tunnel was built.

May Dad worked on the Pocohontas and we used to ride it over and back to visit him as my parents worked different schedules. Mom was a nurse. Those rides are something a 5-6 year old simply doesn't forget.

I do the same trip now from Little Creek where my marina is to Kiptopeke, but I sail it instead of motor. Plus I'm 60 plus years older. And I start from Little Creek whereas before from Kiptopeke. We were quite isolated over there back then.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/k...n-US&entry=ttu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRZClPf5B28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18j5J_qow5w

[CarlF]

In a big, powerful blue water boat like a Discovery 67 - I would go straight to Bermuda and then onto the Caribbean. If you want to stay in the US, Puerto Rico is much nicer than the Keys (which your draft and mast height make a bad idea)

Obviously wait for a weather window before leaving Norfolk - but the biggest danger of a winter rounding of Hatteras is getting among the shoals and swirling currents - to be driven ashore. As the attached list of shipwrecks makes clear.

A trip to Bermuda in December is typically lovely weather and it’s a great place for Christmas.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Tin Tin

All possible in theory, however you might wait a month for such a window.

Indeed, and that would not be a tragedy. In that case I'd just cruise the Chesapeake and leave the boat in Annapolis for another crew to get down later.

[Lodesman]

Some years Annapolis is frozen over in January. You might want to have the boat left in Solomons or further south.

[thomm225]

If you did decide to delay and get back in the Spring, the Annapolis to Bermuda Race is scheduled to start on June 7, 2024.

It's a lot of fun to observe if you get ahead of the racers then watch them pass later.

I ended up right in the middle of it one year (2018) not knowing it had started.

The racers had already sailed all night from Annapolis, the last half being into a SSW headwind.

The wind had rotated around from SSE so my protected anchorage just North of Cape Charles on the Eastern Side of the Bay became exposed so I sailed as soon as I could.

I was sailing almost due West a bit North at around 7:30 am and after getting everything set with autopilot holding course I had a chance to look around.

To the North was a boat on a starboard tack "sailing" against the wind which is kinda odd for most large cruising sailboats coming down the Chesapeake Bay into a headwind..

He was headed in the general area of my anchorage which was very close to the Eastern Shore near Smith's Beach. The boat caught some land effect breeze and extended that tack further South than I would have expected. At that point, I realized it was no cruising boat.

A bit later I saw another sail on the other side of the Bay headed South with a black Mainsail.

Come to find out later, the first boat was a Navy 44 Tenacious sailed by Navy Cadets from Annapolis and probably sailing Instructors also.

https://www.usna.edu/Sailing/Training/index.php

The other boat was a super fast XP-44 S/V Sly. Tenacious actually had the lead boat for boat for a bit and ended up winning the race to Bermuda in that division on handicap.

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/201...xp-44-6634352/

Later about 10 more boats appeared and soon passed me as I was trying to get back SE to Kiptopeke and a sheltered anchorage.

2024 event:

https://www.bermudaoceanrace.com/

The Race I witnessed:

https://yachtscoring.com/event_resul...ber=1&eID=4373

https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm

[BayouSailing]

Time the weather.

I'm on the US Gulf Coast, but have been doing this for 25+ years.

This year, the fronts pass New Orleans on or about Friday, +/- 12 hours.
For the last few weeks. That's this year's pattern.

Amazingly, that's usually the same time the northern boundary of the same front passes Norfolk. I used to have family up there, we'd compare notes, identical. Now they're mostly dead, but the fronts haven't changed.

Look at three months weather history. Look at wind direction and speed. It does strike, depending on the year, a 3, 5, or 7 day pattern. I've mapped years that had a 9-day pattern; but there was always an intervening 4.5 day weak front.

This year looks to be setting up almost exactly on 7.0 days. Chart it, last 90 days. Like others have said, tuck in behind it and ride it down. If you only need 4-5 days as you allege, you'll be golden!.

[nmccubbin]

One poster suggests hugging the coast around Cape Hatteras to stay out of the Gulf Stream.
It mAy work on the right day, but not always
We sailed north past the Hatteras light several years ago
We were doing 14 knots due to a favourable current of over 6 k. We were a couple of hundred yards from the light
No way to stay inside that day

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by nmccubbin

We were a couple of hundred yards from the light

Isn't the light half mile up the beach?

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

Isn't the light half mile up the beach?

Maybe he means the red light 5 miles east of Outer Diamond shoals, still plenty of water in that 5 miles to the next red buoy #2 unless you are a cargo ship. Current flows a lot slower over shallower water.

[MicHughV]

Is it safe to take an 8ft draft in the St. Augustine inlet?

Answer : It depends, the channel is not well marked, and it has a dog leg in it, with noticeable breaking shoals on either side. I certainly would not attempt it at night. An outgoing tide against a norther builds short steep waves for much of the length of the inlet.

A better entry would be Jacksonville as it has a wide, deep and well marked ship channel. As with St. A, an outgoing tide against a norther builds ugly waves at the inlet. Timing is everything.

Be forewarned, that the St. Johns River at the J'ville inlet continuous to run out long past low tide, and slack tide may be an hour or more past noted low tides.
There is a marina and fuel dock just inside the J'ville inlet, maybe 1/2 mile past the J'ville Jetties.

I've done the run from Chesapeake to Florida once going offshore. The trip was a mixed bag, the good, the bad and the ugly. With good crew onboard it's relatively straightforward. There are several inlets you can duck into if the doodoo really hits the fan.

The GS is more or less 70-80 miles offshore J'ville and points north and is not really a concern until you get past Ft. Pierce and south, where it runs relatively close to shore.
By the time you get to WPB, the GS will run right close to shore.

Much gets made of a norther, but I've done the Florida portion of it on several occasions in a norther. It is a boisterous and wet downwind run and you'll be at hull speed the whole way, staying 1-5 miles offshore.

If the Caribbean is your final destination, it will be long uphill slugfest to island hop your way down from WPB or points further south.
You do have the option of running straight east from several ports along the way until you hit the longitude of the Virgins and the head south.

Given the size of your boat, this may be the preferred route.

Hope this gives you some options to chew on.

[jalmberg]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Dockhead We've made this trip (in January) from Charleston down to Ft Lauderdale. Your tough part will be rounding Hatteras.

Get down to Norfolk and wait for your weather window to round. Then get close to the coast and you'll not have any issue with the Gulf Stream. But it will be cold - pack your long underwear.

Your boat is big enough that you can ride a bit rougher weather than our 40 footer.

Exactly. Unfortunately, it is more than possible to have long stretches of bad weather in January. With limited time, you may have to take a less than ideal window to get past Hatteras. Be prepared to motorsail to get past it as fast as possible.

Good luck!