[Alberg30] Re: Nova Scotia to Bermuda?

[John Birch]

Ditto to Wally's point - or at least include us in the off discussion.

Cheers,

John

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wally Moran" <helm at georgianbaysailing.ca>
To: <public-list at alberg30.org>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2002 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: [Alberg30] Re: Nova Scotia to Bermuda?


> Whoa guys - this is great stuff. Don't mail off the list and deprive
> the rest of us, please! Lots of us will want to know this material
> down the road when we set out.
>
> Wally
>
> >Dan,
> >
> >Having once been a migratory being who headed south every winter, I've
made
> >the trip to the Caribbean via Bermuda a number of times from both New
> >England and the Chesapeake and can add a few cents worth...
> >
> >If you choose to sail down the St Lawrence to the Canadian Maritimes I'd
> >advise you to do it in the summer, planning on being in Maine by
September.
> >Weather deteriorates early up by Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.  The
window
> >to head for Bermuda and the Caribbean is actually
> >a relatively short one, as you're playing off the onset of winter storms
up
> >north (beginning about November) with hurricanes down south, with
September
> >being one of the busiest hurricane months and October quite dangerous as
> >well.  Hurricanes have hit the islands even into December.  Most boats
> >depart New England in the latter part of October for Bermuda, spend a few
> >days there, and leave for the Caribbean in early November.
> >
> >I'd strongly advise a departure from south of Cape Cod - from the north,
> >transit the Cape Cod Canal, and depart from the Newport area.  If you
come
> >down the Hudson, sail down LI sound to the same area and skip the New
York
> >traffic lanes.  You can do your
> >provisioning, etc here, and you'll have good access to chandleries,
> >yards, etc for last minute projects (there will always be some!).  At
this
> >point begin to watch your longer term weather for both developing
tropical
> >systems in the Atlantic and for lows heading for the east coast. When you
> >take your departure from Block Island, you will reach the Gulf Stream in
> >roughly a day and a half, so what you're looking to avoid is crossing the
> >stream with a N'ly to SE'ly breeze, which can turn the stream into a
nasty
> >mess, tossing you around like trying to sail inside a washing machine.
> >Ideal is to leave with the passing of a cold front and ride the cold
clear
> >westerly breeze behind it across the stream.  The gulf stream is quite
> >obvious, even this far north, and within a short time you'll notice both
the
> >water and air warming significantly.  Time to put away the New England
cold
> >weather gear and shift to warm weather clothing!
> >
> >For a sound vessel sailed competently, the offshore route to the
Caribbean
> >will literally save many weeks of working to windward when compared to
the
> >ditch and the route through the Bahamas, etc.  You'll be drinking rum
punch
> >at Foxy's before other boats leaving at the same time even reach Florida,
> >and they still have 800 miles to go to windward.  Coming from Bermuda,
it's
> >also easy to steer a few degrees further to the east and make your
landfall
> >at Antigua, for example, placing yourself at the windward end of the
> >Caribbean and set up for a winter of coasting downwind through the
islands.
> >The ICW and Bahamas are certainly a great cruise, but if you're
comfortable
> >offshore then the Bermuda route to the Caribbean can't be beat.
> >
> >With proper preparation an A30 is certainly up for the trip.  A couple of
> >friends of ours, Dave & Renee Cooper, sailed an A30 named COOKIN' (I
believe
> >from the Chesapeake area) from the Bahamas to Gibraltar via Bermuda and
the
> >Azores and at last report are currently in the Med...  and a number of
other
> >A30s have made the passage south as well.
> >
> >Please feel free to email off-list if there's any specific questions I
can
> >help with...
> >
> >Regards,
> >Bill Burke
> >Wild Elf #297
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  +---------------------------------------------------------------------+
> >  | Get in gear for an early Spring with SailNet's ten percent discount |
> >  |  *** http://www.myaffiliateprogram.com/u/sailnet/t.asp?id=1066 ***  |
> >  +---------------------------------------------------------------------+
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Public-list mailing list -- Public-list at alberg30.org
> >http://www.alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list
> >To unsubscribe: email to Public-list-request at alberg30.org
> >Include command "unsubscribe <password>" in subject or body.
> >Use command "help" for more options.
>
>
> --
> The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in
> sailing. Anon
> www.georgianbaysailing.ca for interesting reading for sailors
>  +---------------------------------------------------------------------+
>  | Get in gear for an early Spring with SailNet's ten percent discount |
>  |  *** http://www.myaffiliateprogram.com/u/sailnet/t.asp?id=1066 ***  |
>  +---------------------------------------------------------------------+
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Public-list mailing list -- Public-list at alberg30.org
> http://www.alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list
> To unsubscribe: email to Public-list-request at alberg30.org
> Include command "unsubscribe <password>" in subject or body.
> Use command "help" for more options.
>

 +---------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | Get in gear for an early Spring with SailNet's ten percent discount |
 |  *** http://www.myaffiliateprogram.com/u/sailnet/t.asp?id=1066 ***  |
 +---------------------------------------------------------------------+


_______________________________________________
Public-list mailing list -- Public-list at alberg30.org
http://www.alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list
To unsubscribe: email to Public-list-request at alberg30.org
Include command "unsubscribe <password>" in subject or body.
Use command "help" for more options.

 1016465345.0