Passage South, Cape Canaveral Outside

[forsailbyowner]

We made the trip last year on election night. it was blowing 20+ NE. We just put up the main and had a very fast trip that averaged 7.5 kts. went in canaveral that time as we had a job at EauGallie to attend to. It took less than 24 hrs after leaving from the Jettys by Mayport to in channel at canaveral. I'd rather leave at 20-25 than 10-15. Leaving when the winds are slacking you end up with sloppy choppy seas without enough wind to drive you through them and end up in my least favorite conditions. Rolling with the sails popping and snapping due to lack of wind velocity to keep them full.

[Sailndive345]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

We made the trip last year on election night. it was blowing 20+ NE. We just put up the main and had a very fast trip that averaged 7.5 kts. went in canaveral that time as we had a job at EauGallie to attend to. It took less than 24 hrs after leaving from the Jettys by Mayport to in channel at canaveral. I'd rather leave at 20-25 than 10-15. Leaving when the winds are slacking you end up with sloppy choppy seas without enough wind to drive you through them and end up in my least favorite conditions. Rolling with the sails popping and snapping due to lack of wind velocity to keep them full.

Sounds like a fun ride!.. I'll be headed to Port Canaveral in late March for the bottom job - hope I can run like you guys did

Not being sure about Terry's sailing background, I thought it would be helpful to add: Learn where the Gulf Stream (and its eddies) (read: northerly current) are and avoid them at any cost when/if the winds are as forsailbyowner described (20+ k NE) It has the potential to make you very religious

Fair winds!

Sailndive

[Tspringer]

Sailndive... we came into Jacksonville at night the first week of last June right smack in the middle of the biggest storm of the year.... blowing a full gale from the northeast. We crossed the gulf stream with it blowing a steady 30-35kts and gusting to over 40 from the northeast. We lost our engine (clogged intake) and sailed into the Jacksonville inlet with just a scrap of genoa out. Seas in the gulfstream were 15-18. It was ugly.

I have NO intention of ever repeating that experience.

Tomorrow is starting to look pretty good. If this forecast holds, we may leave Jacksonville on the ebb around 1:30pm tomorrow and hope to make Lake Worth by Thursday around noon.


Terry

[Sailndive345]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you! Did you ever find out what the engine issue was?

[Tspringer]

Originally Posted by Sailndive345

Keeping my fingers crossed for you! Did you ever find out what the engine issue was?

Nope. It is one of the universes major mysteries.

At this point it is looking like a possible repower once we can get down toward Ft. Lauderdale.


Terry

[Sailndive345]

Good luck! Hope you have a safe sail down!

Sailndive

[Tspringer]

We are underway..... More wind please.

Terry

[forsailbyowner]

Todays front should give you just what you need, we have steady 15 going here in Tampa after front passed.

[Tspringer]

Yuck.....wallowing along at a whopping 3kts in 4kts apparent with frequent sail slapping. Forecast was 10-15 increasing to 15-20. I have a broken engine and really prefer not to run it so of course the winds just die. We are 4.5 miles off St. Augustine going nowhere fast.

This having an Internet connection and an iPhone on passage is fun and silly! I have as good a connect as in the marina.

Terry

[ka4wja]

Terry,
The 15 - 20 kts (NW to NNW) that you're hoping for are currently 20 to 40 miles offshore....40 miles ENE of St. Aug and 20 miles E of Cape Canaveral, bouys are reporting 15 -20 kts, from NW (310* to 330* True)

I realize that you do not wish to buck the Stream, but the Stream's core axis is currenly east of 80* W, with about 1.5 - 1.75 kts flowing North....
So, if you head a bit farther off, without going east of 80* 20', you should pick up better wind, without much (if any) extra adverse cuurent....

According to NOAA's reports from this morning, the WESTERN wall of the Stream is approx:
42 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF PONCE INLET.
29 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF PORT CANAVERAL.
28 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF SEBASTIAN INLET.
15 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF FORT PIERCE INLET.
10 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF SAINT LUCIE INLET.

Staying west of the line, made by these points, should keep you out of any major adverse current.....
But, heading out farther than your present position should result in much better winds...


Fair winds.
John

[Sailndive345]

Terry,

Ditto to what John posted - I'd like to add that, if you stay that close to shore, you'll not get the seabreeze (if any) until around 1:00 to 2:00 PM tomorrow; the typical pattern... If there is wind outside (as it seems) you may want to sail to it - you'd have had to clear the Cape anyway...

Fair winds - safe journey!

Sailndive

[Tspringer]

Great minds must think alike, we headed further off about an hour after I last posted. It's 3am and we are 12 miles off making over 7kts broad reaching in 20kts from the NNW.

I still have Sprint cellular wifi


Terry

[Sailndive345]

Terry,

Are we there yet?



Sailndive

[Tspringer]

Yup, we timed it pretty good and arrived at the Lake Worth inlet this morning right at slack water. Motored in and dropped the hook about a mile south of the inlet . The passage was good, we made very good time and had no problems!


Terry

[Sailndive345]

Excellent! If I understood that correctly, you are south of Peanut island - I remember anchoring there Enjoy!...