FLL to Cape Cod on the outside

[jbinbi]

If this thread exists, sorry for the dupe, didn't see it...

Looking to bring a 38' cat from FLL to Cape Cod NOT up the intracoastal.

Hoping for advice as best routes, time of the year etc. Was looking to do this possibly end of April/early May or end of May. Insurance reasons want me to try to do this prior to June 1 as insurance doesn't want my boat South of GA line after that, though maybe I can get a rider/extension.

Can anyone give me websites that would show seasonal wind patterns from the past by week? I would assume this exists? Is it worth it to subscribe to a weather service vs. I have XM weather on the boat? Popular routes, hug the coast vs. going out a bit? We are experienced sailors, but seeking local knowledge as I am sure there are many who have done this.

TIA.

[tkeithlu]

In past posts, the discussion has centered on whether to go inside or out by Cape Hatteras. I like sailing in the Pamlico Sound (wind, not wave) and am sensitive to the general treachery of the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." Others go well outside and are completely happy with that. The time of year you propose is generally gentle, with longer gaps between the fronts than in March, but attention to the immediate weather is probably more important than the yearly average.

Should be a fun trip.

[Adelie]

What’s FLL?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Adelie

What’s FLL?

That’s the airport code for the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida.

Another vote for sailing in the Pamlico sound. Some of the best selling I’ve ever had in my life was in there. The wind was strong as could be. Beam Reach. I was absolutely flying through there. And since it is small, there was no chop really. Nice and flat. Couldn’t have been a better day. I sailed a lot of the intRacoastal that day.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Adelie

What’s FLL?

FLL Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport

Odd to see that IATA airport designation on a cruiser forum.

[phorvati]

You need 3-4 days of prevailing SW wind forecast to get on your way. As summer comes, Southerlies take over and northerlies die down. general rule is make sure you are not in the stream if notherly front comes. otherwise, ride the stream and you'll be north of hatteras in few days.
If a front is scheduled to arrive and I can get north of hatteras before it reaches VA, then I would head towards chessapeake once I get north of hatteras in order to get out of the stream. Then as front arrives, and its not something epic, I would use it to head NE from VA coast line.

If front doesnt come and you got past hatteras, I would stay the course, look to ride the stream and eddies as far north east as possible, then traverse canyons and head home.
I'll be doing this in may, or at least once we get on the other side of this pandemic.

[jbinbi]

FL is several hundred miles long. Saying you are going north from FL doesn't help people know from where, FLL as mentioned is the airport code for Ft. Lauderdale, which is lots of typing vs FLL.

Thanking those for posting some info.

As you get to May, does the wind still clock around like it does in the winter spring, or do you get prevailing S/SW more frequently?

So earlier in the season, I guess I would leave after the wind clocks to the SE, and ride it thru the S, SW clocking, if we could get 5 days, we could get close to the Chesapeake area.

But in mid to end of May, what are the winds like?

Typically how far out is the stream from the coast? Also, any rec on a website to show where the stream is at any point in time?

[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.

[jbinbi]

Found a great site for the gulf stream. Given that the most direct route to Hatteras is a diagonal NE, but the stream now looks like 2 legs of that triangle, N, then E, would you follow the stream, or most direct route?

[jbinbi]

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.

Sorry about that, posts just missed each other. See my post just as you were putting yours up.

Here is today's stream. So go N then E, or just go NE most direct?

[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

[Scubaseas]

Pilot charts at https://msi.nga.mil/Publications/APC


You do not want to be in the Stream with any Northerly component wind. Enjoy the ride on the West side of the gulf stream and be ready to jump out and head more inshore if you get North winds.



Late May might be better South winds than April

[boatman1]

My experiences doing this trip range from no wind and lots of motoring, to headwinds ( staying in the stream and beating as long as the poor sailors can stand it ), to established southwesterly flow starting around the Florida/Georgia border all the way to new england-glorious (and fast) sailing. The longer you put it off into the summer, the greater the chance of calms. Keep your eyes peeled while cruising along, there’s beaucoup sea life in the stream, and north of your departure from it it’s not uncommon to spy whales. Not to mention the food fish if you’re so inclined-albacore tuna towards the northern end- yum. Passage weather is one service with wind and current predictions. One year I lost the stream north of Canaveral and was most disappointed. Looking at at map of the streams’ location after the fact (silly me) illustrated that it had taken a hard right in the latitude of about New Smyrna Beach a hundred miles or so to the east before heading back north. You do want to stay as close to the axis as forecasting will allow.

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by Tingum

............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.

Ditto Tingum......Did this back in the 80's bringing a 45 ft monohull up from FLL to Baltimore. Just go east 50 miles from FLL, which will put you in the middle of the stream, then turn left heading NE. We maintained 13 knots all the way to the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay. We obtained a thermal scan from the USCG the day before we left to confirm the exact location of the gulf stream location. Be prepared for big swells. We did that trip with charts and a Loran.

https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forec...US52.KMFL.html
https://www.nauticalchartsonline.com...Atlantic-Coast

[donradcliffe]

My last delivery on this route was from FLL to Newport leaving May 10, 2018. We go into the stream and had good saiing for two days and 500+ miles before the wind went light, then motorsailed for two days. Current turned around and slowed us a bit the 4th day. Went through a mild cold front off New Jersey, which came back north over us as a warm front. Forecasts were we would hit it again as a stronger cold front about the time we got to Newport. Put the hammer down, and got into Newport in just 5 days, 2 hours before the front came through. It was indeed a strong one, and several people were killed by falling trees in Connecticut.

Pretty typical trip for that time of year, and the fronts get stronger as you get further north. I've also come into Newport during a strong front on Memorial day, and they say the sailing season there doesn't really open up till June 15.

Below Hatteras, if the conditions are ripe for T storms I stay inside the stream and forego the push to escape the lightning generated by the warmer water--you can see where the stream is by looking at the radar and lightning.