Caribbean to Europe - power route vs sail?

Wxx3 said:

Chasing forecasts is predicated on a cruising speed of 6 to 7 knots, 130 to 150 nm/24hr.
I don't know anyone crossing the Atlantic at 15 knots. A sailboat can probably do 12 to 15 in the trade winds.

A Low moves 500 nm/ day. So even if, and that's a big if, the forecast is "right" it can be easily off 150 miles, at which point you zigged when you should have zagged.

I would love to have been able to find that Azores High, but I also can't go 500 miles out of my way to find it.

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Wxx3 said:

I'm not a fan of bladders.
While your boat may have been designed for an extra 9,000 lbs, I doubt that considered putting this weight relatively high, on deck, sloshing around.

I'll be curious to see what my pilot charts day about that route in June.
If anyone had Jimmy Cornell's Pilot Charts of the North Atlantic in June, please take a picture and post it.

My book is on Dauntless and I won't be on her until March.

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alfamike said:

I have used bladders & had good success - but I secured them, anti-chafed them, plumbed them in with hoses & valves, bleed out all the air, set up an electric transfer fuel pump, etc. & tested them & had them all set up before I left. - Not doing any of that on the fly underway.

Here is the type I used -- ATL - brand. -- all different sized available.

http://www.atlinc.com/pdfs/PillowTanks/DS617-REB-Fuel-Bladders-web.pdf


I mounted mine in the rear of the engine room -- one on each side. - NOT on deck as it can raise the center of gravity to much.

Good Luck on your trip.

Alfa Mike

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Martin J said:

I would look into the seasonal variances of the Bermuda Azores high. It governs the NA weather in the calmest time of the year (summer). This with the other areas of reference will help you to start with a time frame of the best passage time/date . You may have to split it into 3 passages to take advantage of the weather systems. East coast-Bermuda-Azores-Gib etc.

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hatteras53 said:

Gentlemen,

How about up the East Coast to Saint Johns, Newfoundland and then over to the Azores and finally to Europe. No need for extra fuel on that series of runs. Since you are a powerboat/trawler, no need to consider the winds.

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mcarthur said:

Good thought - half the distance to Azores, and even Ireland direct is even shorter. I think MV Dirona did this, but starting Nova Scotia? A leetle colder perhaps (icebergs?! ffs!! lol)

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hatteras53 said:

Thank you Richard.

Think if you left Saint Johns the ice issue would only be a risk for the first few hundred miles as the water is much warmer the closer you get to the Azores. I have a 44' Nauticat motor sailor and that is a route that we keep considering since we only carry 225 gallons but of course have 2 60' sails. Agreed after being an airplane pilot for 30 years that the bladder tanks could shift at the wrong time and OH BOY we got a bad weight and balance issue.

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