FLL to Cape Cod on the outside

[Tingum]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

I like to stop at night at various inlets. With SW winds and a good sailing cats, it's easy to do 80+ miles during daylight. Any large sport fish draws around the same as most cats. Forget about "class A" inlets. There are dozens of stopping spots a easy in and out. Most a good ways from all the NIMBY folks that might report you to the police state.

Also, the SW pattern doesn't really dominate until late May/ June. Can be lots of fronts with adverse wind before that. You can easily do the trip in less than 2 weeks stopping almost every night

That’s crazy, you will spend more time and travel further going in a and out as you would going North

[wannacat]

Doesn't make sense sticking to shore as you mention, just look at the pic you posted and see that your fighting a back eddy most of the time! Get a good 4-5 day forecast and go for it as mentioned in the other posts, if things start to pick up not in your favour then head in. You'll get beat up for a bit but not too bad if you stay close to the near shore side of The Stream as mentioned. Good luck!!!

[Sailingveterinarian]

First trip after buying my cat I Ft. Lauderdale, I headed out and followed the Gulfstream..
It was June. Best trip I ever had on the boat. Went up the Hudson, dropped the mast and went to Lake Champlain.
I was lucky with perfect weather

[wizoc]

Try fastseas.com for stream info.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Tingum

That’s crazy, you will spend more time and travel further going in a and out as you would going North

That would depend on the route and where you stop. Certainly in GA and SC you could lose most of a day for the in and out of any inlet to anchor for a night. However, entering the Cape Fear River inlet in NC is straight in headed north and you can avoid backtracking by going up the ICW a few miles to go back outside at Masonboro.

My last trip north I left FL in early June and had one of the best sails ever. Broad reach from the St John's River to Cape Fear we set the AP and barely had to trim the sails for three days. Weather got a little feisty so we went inside at Beaufort to Norfolk and had another broad reach to NY harbor.

[Moontide]

Several sites give you Gulfstream info. Windy.com Passageweather.com have pages just for the GS. Imagine Predictwind.com does also.


Tingum - It's not crazy to go along the coast. Lots of great anchorages (and bars/restaurants in normal times). All depends on what the OP wants to do. Get north fast, or enjoy the cruise. If he chooses the go slow and stop at night good for him. If he wants to go non-stop then good for him too.



I have done the trip several times and only overnight is getting arond Hatteras. Doesn't matter if going north or south - if you have time and watch the weather can be done all reaching or running. Have been "stuck" in various places waiting for the wind to shift, and always had a good time.


Inside Pimlico (sp?) was not an option for me due to mast height.



Bill

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by Tingum

What specific route are you referring to? Just plant yourself in the middle of the stream and give Hatteras a wide berth and ride the stream north. May is a great month, you’ll also have the chance to catch some nice dolphin on the way.

That would also be my advice. Watch the weather and if it gets bad there are a lot of inlets to pop into and wait for it to change.
The last time I did a similar trip I came out at Cape Canaveral, rode the golf stream to Charleston South Carolina and tucked in there for a few days waiting for weather. Came out of Charleston and headed out to the stream again and came back in at Norfolk in the Chesapeake Bay. Just beware of the Gulfstream with any north component in the wind.
It was a great trip and had I not stopped in Charleston I probably could have made it easily in five or six days.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[seandepagnier]

It is not a good time to travel long distances as many of us are on lock down and cannot even leave the town we are in. If you did go at this time it would be a considerably selfish act.

[jbinbi]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

It is not a good time to travel long distances as many of us are on lock down and cannot even leave the town we are in. If you did go at this time it would be a considerably selfish act.

a. We are talking about mid may, so hopefully in 6 weeks it is past the peak and things are getting better.

b. how is being 40 mi from shore for 1400 mi being selfish? I figure that would be about in the best place I can be, far far away from everyone else.

[Bean Counter]

Done West Palm to Chesapeake in June for last 3 years each time totally dependent on the weather windows.



Worst - took 30 days, stopped and waited at 9 ports all along the coast - numerous high intensity electrical storms 40 -50 knot gusts - horrible time. Left ports at daybreak to get in next port before 3pm before being whacked.


An OK trip. Two stops Charleston and Cape Lookout, stuck in both places waiting for weather to clear 14 days total trip.


Great trip. One stop - rode the stream to Cape Lookout where Northern front threatened us, 3 day wait for SW wind take use around Hatteras - total trip 7 days.


As for going from Chesapeake north went via C&D Canal, We stopped at Lewes DE, Brigantine Lagoon Atlantic City, Sandy Hook NJ, through NYC and then inside long island up to Onset, Cape Cod Canal. It too was a wait and see for this had inclement weather as well as fog, July.

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

It is not a good time to travel long distances as many of us are on lock down and cannot even leave the town we are in. If you did go at this time it would be a considerably selfish act.

Humorous sarcasm???

[LeeV]

Not sure what the Florida rules & exemptions are right now, but I’d make sure I have plenty of fuel just in case.

[Boatguy30]

It's amazing that people so keen to disregard other countries safety measures and visa requirements are now all for "staying put" and not being selfish! Even my most "small government" friends have turned to sheep.

I sincerely hope that pleasure craft transit along the coast will not be restricted. There are 100s maybe. 1000 boats that need to be making their way home to New England and Canada. Plus many Europeans with long stay visa hoping to come to the East coast to figure out what to do next and/or reprovision for an Atlantic crossing.

FYI if it's more than 3 miles in and 3 miles out I don't stop along the coast. Still lots of spot that meet that criteria. And I should clarify its generally on trips south I play the coast, but what the hurry at the moment!

[VeinDocFL]

Does anyone know if XM weather is receivable out in the gulf stream? We rounded Hattaras twice last year and it’s available there, and that is pretty Far East but not sure East of Georgia where we would be furthest from shore.

[Scubaseas]

https://www.siriusxm.com/coveragemap


Should be fine. Done a few trips Bahamas to Cape May with decent coverage. West side of stream and inshore. Depends somewhat on your antenna. it's location and cabling to laptop/display.