Bermuda

markpierce said:

What about the return trip? Fight the current or take a more obtuse course?

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Mark, you can more southerly by staying just east of the stream. Then cross at a flatter angle. Oliver was speaking of coming back through the Abacos which are well East of the stream.

Oliver, with your waterline you can probably avg 7kts if you ride the stream. Best ride back to the abacos is via the canaries. Might want to wait for November though. Fastest I've gotten to Bermuda via Ftl was 80 hrs on a sailboat in late June.


Via iPhone.

A very long time ago there was ( and still is ) a sail boat race called Newport to Bermuda. It takes place the last part of June with very little weather forecasting capability along the lines of today. No plotters, just celestial navigation. In the crew meetings hurricanes gained scanty notice that early in the season, just the gulf currents and their eddys and swirls.

My take, do it within a few weeks and you'll do just fine given all the navigation and weather gear you have on your vessel. Why not, that is why you bought the boat.

Hurricanes are so well followed that having a warning one is brewing is no problem.

Your SSB with a cheap weather fax , to a computer is all thats needed, IF the SSB is good and stable on frequency.

Double Diamond beer alone would make the trip worthwhile.

Bermuda is usually the first leg to the Carib , not the Bahamas.

For ocean cruising the old >Ocean Passages for the World < from the gov , and using the low powered steam routs works fine.

Otherwise the pilot charts , look for the no wind zones in the months you are contemplating for route guidance.

Great trip!!!

I like how you are thinking, would be an awesome trip and I agree with the June July time frame is a nice time all around.

The trip wouldn't really be to see Bermuda,it would provide us with some open ocean experience which would be nice, and also being able to say you made that trip.

You may see the worst (best seagoing experience) while just in the Gulf Stream rather than passing through the Sargasso Sea to Bermuda.