Armond Perretta wrote:
Good tale, Doug, and you ended up with approximately the same number of
people you started with.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. The authorities frown coming back with
fewer, and they get downright nosy if you bring back more!

... Two queries:

1. Why do this at this time of year?


'cuz that's when my friend bought his boat!

2. What were your approximately 24-hour runs?


Well, I dunno exactly, since I wasn't the captain and sort of just
piddled with navigating. We made 140 miles in our first 24 hour run, and
in the next 48 hours we made over 350. Once we were on the axis of the
Gulf Stream, we were usually going at least 8 kt SOG and occasionally
hit 13. Say what you like about Hunters, that one at least is a fast boat!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

I think the problem was not so much the time of the year, but you probably
sailed when there were winds out of the NW, N, or NE. That makes for very
steep waves
in the Gulf Stream with it's northerly flowing current. There are days in the
winter when the winds are more favorable. I have sometimes waited up to a
week for the winds to clock around to give a more favorable crossing.
Shortening sail should be the first thing on a sailor's mind, short of
fighting off catastrophes, like a hole in the
bottom of the boat. Maybe I'm extra cautious because of having a 22 footer,
but I
think bigger boats can also get into trouble, especially in the Gulf Stream.

Sherwin D.

DSK wrote:

Armond Perretta wrote:
Good tale, Doug, and you ended up with approximately the same number of
people you started with.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. The authorities frown coming back with
fewer, and they get downright nosy if you bring back more!

... Two queries:

1. Why do this at this time of year?


'cuz that's when my friend bought his boat!

2. What were your approximately 24-hour runs?


Well, I dunno exactly, since I wasn't the captain and sort of just
piddled with navigating. We made 140 miles in our first 24 hour run, and
in the next 48 hours we made over 350. Once we were on the axis of the
Gulf Stream, we were usually going at least 8 kt SOG and occasionally
hit 13. Say what you like about Hunters, that one at least is a fast boat!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

sherwindu wrote:
I think the problem was not so much the time of the year, but you probably
sailed when there were winds out of the NW, N, or NE.

Nope, winds were E when we first headed out from Ft Pierce, clocking
slowly around to SSW.

... That makes for very
steep waves
in the Gulf Stream with it's northerly flowing current.

Boy does it ever.

Another issue is that the waves tend to build up in a certain direction
and take a long time to die down. We were sailing in a cross-swell most
of the time which made steering tricky.

... There are days in the
winter when the winds are more favorable. I have sometimes waited up to a
week for the winds to clock around to give a more favorable crossing.

I would too, normally. But this was a delivery.

Shortening sail should be the first thing on a sailor's mind, short of
fighting off catastrophes, like a hole in the
bottom of the boat. Maybe I'm extra cautious because of having a 22 footer,
but I
think bigger boats can also get into trouble, especially in the Gulf Stream.

Sherwin D.


Bigger boats, like maybe freighters and/or Navy destroyers?
The ocean is plenty big enough to humble man's grandest creations.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

sherwindu wrote:
I think the problem was not so much the time of the year, but you
probably sailed when there were winds out of the NW, N, or NE.
That makes for very steep waves ...

I read Doug's post to say they encountered following winds for the majority
of the passage. Unless they were heading south ....

The point is that even with following winds, this stretch of the coast
typically provides pretty good seas for a small yacht. I have made offshore
runs on this stretch a number of times, and in most cases I had periods of
rather large following seas, and I am not talking about gale conditions,
just typical early summer/late fall days and nights. It is worth wondering
why this trip was scheduled for February, but as Don Rumsfeld has famously
pointed out, you go with the trip you have.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/