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18.05.2021 22:18:41
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The Caribbean is an awesome place to live, especially if you are lucky enough to do so on your sailboat. There are some things you might want to consider before moving out there, though. Such as, can you afford it? The chances are you could afford a marina slip, at least if you could afford one in America. But is the marina going to be up to the standards you were hoping for? Will you even be able to afford it without working, or with reduced income. Is the Caribbean even the right place for you? This article answers all of that and more!
The Caribbean is a great place to sail. The waters are normally pretty calm, the conditions are generally good, and the maritime laws are relaxed enough that you can feel at ease but strict enough that it isn't total mayhem. One thing to consider is the depth of your hull. You see, the Caribbean waters are rather shallow. At least close to the mainland. The waters are shallow and the sea bed is made of sharp shale. The chance of you scuppering yourself is quite high. This is why so many ships swap out their fin keels for a torpedo-shaped one. Or, they simply cut half of the fin off. Learning to navigate shallow waters is a good idea before you arrive. That and having a decent depth finder onboard. [links]
You will also want to be wary of the rainy season. That is May to October for most places. The rain itself isn't a problem, so long as you don't mind being confined to your ship for a short while. The real problem is the storms. Cyclones are not uncommon. They arrive multiple times during the rainy season. If you have lived on the east coast of America, you are likely used to getting cyclones to blow in from far out at sea. Well, most of those storms make landfall in the Caribbean first. Meaning what you have seen in America is only a taste of what's to come. This is fine if you live on the island. Storm shutters, a fully stocked pantry, and a backup generator are enough to see you through the worst of it. On your sailboat though, you are at serious risk of capsizing. You may want to find a friend who will allow you to wait out the storm in their home. Or book yourself into a hotel. That will save you, but your ship is at the mercy of the storm. [links]
Chris Tibbs is a meteorologist and weather router, as well as a professional sailor and navigator with more than 250,000 sailing miles behind him. He forecasts for Olympic sailing teams and the ARC rallies, among others.
Getting west is good if there are going to be westerly winds all the way, but during the summer months there will often be east or north-easterly winds along the north Spanish coast, which will assist with rounding Finisterre. Last year we cruised the Biscay coast and it is a lovely area previously missed in our rush to get south – it is an option worth considering if you have plenty of time.
Biscay has a fearsome reputation and for many sailors, it is their first taste of bluewater sailing. Distances may not…
The feature of more concern is a ‘cut off’ low. These are small lows that form on the southern part of a loop in the jet stream. They form, then the loop tends to collapse and the jet stream moves north. [links]
A transatlantic tradewind crossing from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean is on many a sailor’s bucket list. Endless sunny…
Our focus tends to be on the crossing to the Caribbean of around 3,000 miles. If done at the right season the weather for the transatlantic stage will likely be kind and it will be tradewinds for most, if not all, of the way.
“It is like a dream to be cradled to sleep by the rocking of the boat under the stars.”more
“I got to scuba dive into the ship wreck. I enjoyed seeing the ocean life that had adopted the ship as its new home.”
“My favorite thing that I learned was Bioturbation and how stingrays and sharks use it to help the ocean life survive and thrive.”more
“We went scuba diving to a really pretty reef where we saw stingrays, two lobsters and coral. I also was certified that day which made me really happy.”
To enter Spanish Wells from Northeast Providence Channel, follow the Bahamas guidebook instructions carefully. There is a shortcut through the north reef called Ridley Head Channel, but it requires local knowledge to enter. It can, however, be a handy shortcut when leaving Spanish Wells in settled weather, with good eyeball piloting skills and a bright, high sun. [links]
It’s about 55 nautical miles across the Gulf Stream from Miami to the Great Bahama Bank’s northwest corner. Here the Great Isaac lighthouse marks your first waypoint. When planning your course, compensate for the three-knot (midstream average) northerly-setting current by steering about two points south of the rhumb line. Work out current vectors based on your boat’s speed, allowing for the current’s gradual increase and then decrease as you cross. here
If you’ve been making decent time you’ll cross Northeast Providence Channel on your second night out. Ahead lies the open Atlantic, but before heading into it you have the option of stopping in Spanish Wells, Bahamas, near the northern tip of Eleuthera Island. Spanish Wells is a prosperous community of Bahamian fishermen and their families who are descendants of the original Loyalist settlers. Here you can replace any fuel you burned en route from Miami, and top off the water tanks one more time. Also, a little R&R ashore for the crew is a good morale builder just prior to the offshore leg of your trip. [links]
Most skippers make a night crossing of the Stream in order to arrive on the other side with daylight. This does make the ship traffic, which can be considerable near Miami, seem more intimidating, but it will thin out soon after you get away from the coast. For setting watches, three hours on and six off works well with a three-man crew, though that is entirely up to you. It not only allows enough rest, but also rotates the watch schedule, giving each crewmember their fair share of sunrises at sea. here
Re-fueled and rested, it’s onward to the Caribbean. Check the weather forecast again. At this point experienced skippers are hoping for a norther. Those same cold fronts that you were avoiding just a couple of days ago in the Gulf Stream can now be a real asset. The prevailing winds here are from the east and southeast—exactly where you want to go (naturally), but as a norther approaches it sets up a veering wind pattern. First, the wind shifts to the south, then southwest. Just ahead of the front it may die in the west. Then the leading edge of the front comes with a cold rush out of the northwest, usually accompanied by blustery winds, clouds and rainsqualls. Then, as the sky clears, the wind clocks around to the north and northeast before settling back into the prevailing easterly again. Delivery skippers, setting sail as soon as the wind goes south, use these favorable wind directions to make a few hundred miles of “free easting” into the Atlantic. Just be sure your sails are reefed way down before the arrival of the actual front. It can carry a brief but powerful punch! [links]