Round trip Chesapeake to Bermuda

[MicHughV]

scroll down and you'll find the Gulf Stream Chart

[clamshack]

Originally Posted by captmikem

When you arrive in a country by boat it is a totally different experience than entering a country from an airport. You see it a few hours before you get to it and it grows slowly on the horizon, you smell it, the sounds, the water and the air surround you. You have been studying the chart for hours so you have a feel of the layout of the coast and harbor. Usually you have been away from civilization for a few days so you are looking forward to the new experience and change in food, people, and your daily routine. You clear in then explore your surroundings, meet the local people who are living there. You talk with others in the anchorage or marina who sailed there as well, worked to get there like you and you enjoy the comradery.

You arrive by plane you are one of the masses, you are herded through customs and immigration standing in line with hundreds of others just like you. You are then dumped into the city, grabbing a taxi or in line at the rent car kiosk. You get to your hotel and it is the same as most others. The people you first meet are paid to direct you. You are just one of the crowd.

Flying to a place to first check out the sights, bars, and entertainment is, well.. I don’t know. I do not think Bermuda, Easter Island, Tahiti, Tonga or most any of the places I have sailed to would have the fond memories I have of them if I had flown there first.

Do as you wish.

M

What I see in our community is a huge experience gap. Specifically when it comes to travel outside North America.

When were you last in Bermuda?

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Plus, I've been told, and whether this is true or not I don't know, but that there are " sea mounts" in the area, some known, others not, which may also cause unusually confused seas.

If you think about it, Bermuda is a small isolated spot of land in the middle of nowhere.
A sea mount that broke thru' the surface at some time ago ? Pure conjecture on my part, but could there be other similar places that are still below the surface.

The Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, have the so-called " hour glass shoals" a similar situation, known to produce very confused seas at times.

I'm certainly intrigued about the rough weather phenomena often experienced either coming or going to Bermuda.

I am pretty certain that any sea mount tall enough to impact surface conditions would have been found long ago. It is a pretty busy part of the ocean. You can get crap conditions pretty much anywhere. Mona Passage is different. It is relatively shallow to start with.

First time I went to Bermuda in early '80s I brought a thermometer with me. When I thought I was getting close to the Gulf Stream I pumped some sea water into head sink and checked the temperature every hour or so. We entered the Stream at night and didn't feel temp difference on deck and couldn't see the sea surface, but thermometer did the trick. Helped with nav since this was pre-GPS and I was using DR and celestial when I could get a shot.

Used temperature navigation years later sailing westward along the coast of South Africa. The Agulhas Current flows west and if you are in it you can pick up at least 2-3 knots. That boat had a temperature sensor built into the log (or depth sounder, can' remember which). We would leave a port like Durban and go out several miles until the temperature of the water rose dramatically, Then we turned right and tried to stay in the warm water. We would creep north a bit to minimize distance but if the temp of the water dropped we would edge south to get back on the conveyor. We left one harbour (Port Elizabeth?) with a much faster boat. They stayed a mile or so offshore and we went out 10 or so and arrived at the next stop more than an hour or so before them so if you can use currents it is great. Can be tricky with meanders.