On Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:20:53 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

Good movie, but...
Since I'm tending more and more toward a sailboat, I have a question.
How often in your various areas is it impossible to move under sail
because it is dead calm?
Anybody care to give an estimate in terms of days/hours/season?
Ohara has said there is "no wind" in the summer on the Florida gulf
coast, but since I'm not there with a sailboat I don't how to
interpret that in a meaningful way.


Summer on the Gulf of Mexico is problematic. It is frequently dead
calm in the morning before the sea breeze builds up along the shore in
the afternoon. Afternoon in summer brings in the thunderstorms
however and they can be very dicey for a small sailboat. Winter is
much better with days of steady easterly winds in south Florida, ideal
for reaching up and down the coast. Ohara is up north in the Big Bend
area and probably has less wind on most days.

Another big variable is whether or not you are sailing just for the
pleasure of being out there, or if you are trying to get someplace.
Sailors trying to get somewhere spend a lot of time with the engine
on, well over 50%, quite possibly over 90%.