Depends on where in
Brazil you hope to go. I have sailed the coast of Brazil four times, once going south, three times going north.
My sailing
route reference, in addition to the Jimmy Cornell volume, is the Admiralty publication, Ocean Passages for the World, giving sailing directions for the old time sailing ships. Following those directions you will normally be no closer than 60degrees to the wind.
I have found that, in general, the NE trades are weaker along the South American coast than in the
Caribbean, though the area is prone to rain squalls in the January to June time.
Advice differs when going south from the
Caribbean, some say you should stay close to the shallow coast and tack back and forth where the
current is weakest. The Admiralty publication states you should tack
offshore during the day and inshore during the night to take advantage of the land and sea breezes in this time of light and variable winds. Do not go into
water deeper than 55metres.
The disadvantage of this inshore
route is that there are many small
fishing boats with drift nets inshore. The
boats often have no lights or a weak light and the 'stick with a black flag' end of net markers are not lit.
Once south of Natale, near Cabo Sao Roque, the wind and
current is favourable going south.
Our favourite
ports were Natale, Cabedello/Pria de Jacare (crocodile beach), Rio de Janiero (stay on the Niteroi side and take the
ferry boat across the estuary), the Bay Islands south of Rio, best was Salvadore de
Bahia and estuary, Rio Grande de sur (very interesting oceanographic institute and college doing
marine research), etc.
There are a few good guide
books for the Brazilian coast.
Brazil is a great country to visit.