Charleston to Jupiter Island Nov 1

[KENAI]

We are planning to sail our new Hunter 49 from Charleston S.C. to Jupiter Island FL. around Nov. 1st weather permitting. Our plan is to sail offshore and only make landfall if weather turns bad before arriving in Jupiter. This will be our first time sailing the western Atlantic. Most of our sailing has been on along the Eastern Pacific (Southern California & Mexico). We have been gathering as much information we can find to help make this first voyage a fun and safe trip.
Any helpful information would be grately appreciated.

[skipmac]

Guess you will already be watching the weather so only other concern will be the Gulf Stream. If a cold front aka norther blows in you will have the wind from the north blowing against the Gulf Stream flowing north and it can get really, really nasty.

By Charleston the Stream is pretty far offshore but the further south you go the closer in the edge of the Stream. Hug the US coast as much as practical to stay out of the current, maybe even pick up some counter current.

One thing that annoyed me on that trip was the number of unlit buoys off the coast, some 5-6 miles off or more if I recall. Keep a good watch, use radar if you've got it.