What is the prevailing wisdom about going offshore in the Winter/Spring

Talking mainly about Southeast US coastal hops.

What areas can be dangerous? How are weather patterns different than
other times of the year.

Any specific advice about the hop from Charleston to St. Augustine in
late January?

Thanks,

Mike.

On 14 Jan 2006 18:44:01 -0800, "beaufortnc"
wrote:

Any specific advice about the hop from Charleston to St. Augustine in
late January?

===============================================

Should be an easy run if you pick your weather window carefully. I
like to use the navy wave height forecast (Global Wave Analysis Model)
because it goes out 7 days and is very reliable in my experience.

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/PUBLIC/WAM/all_natl.html

If you stay within 30 or 40 miles of the coast that will keep you out
of the Gulf Stream which is a good thing to do when southbound.

The St Augustine inlet was being freshly dredged when we were there
last November and should be in good shape in anything but a strong
easterly against an ebb tide. If conditions deteriorate in route, St
Mary's inlet at Fernandina Beach would be a good place to bail out.

I made the trip from Charleston to St. Augustine in mid December on the
outside. 31 hour trip and pretty easy. Left just after dawn and arrived
mid afternoon the following day. About a 280 mile trip if you go point to
point and not follow the MapTech routes. It takes you a little further
offshore, but cuts about 20 miles off. Like previous poster said, pick your
weather window and you should be OK.

--

"beaufortnc" wrote in
oups.com:

Any specific advice about the hop from Charleston to St. Augustine in
late January?



See my post followup to the harbor race in Charleston, yesterday. INSIDE
the harbor there were 5' seas, 40-45 knot gale, blown out main, broken
shrouds, wind so strong a 3 cyl Yanmar was powerless to push the boat
into the wind.....

I'm sure offshore would have been total destruction. Hell, we were IN
THE HARBOR!



Remember - south of the border B-e-a-u-f-o-r-t is pronounced
"Bu' furt"...

"beaufortnc" wrote:

What is the prevailing wisdom about going offshore in the Winter/Spring

Talking mainly about Southeast US coastal hops.

What areas can be dangerous? How are weather patterns different than
other times of the year.

Any specific advice about the hop from Charleston to St. Augustine in
late January?

As long as you pick your weather window, you shouldn't have a problem
whatever the time of year. We've done it once in each direction from
Charleston to the St. Mary's River (Nov 21, 2003), and once from the
St. Mary's River to Charleston (April 10, 2004). We don't like the
harbor entrance in St. Augustine (I've seen a line of breakers
completely across the inlet several times), so we go in to the St.
Mary's River instead. That is a class A Inlet which is probably
maintained for the Kings Bay Sub Base. You could also come into the
St. John's River, but there's more traffic there.

grandma Rosalie

Southbound, we did Charleson to Jacksonville last winter, and Cape Fear to
Fort Pierce with a fuel stop at Mayport, last week A mix of good sailing,
a lot of motor sailing and some windward work the last leg from Cape
Canaveral to Ft.Pierce. Be careful and conservative in picking a good
weather window and be prepared for it to take longer than you think it will,
if the wind is light or goes around to the south. Carry enough fuel to motor
if the wind is unfavorable . It's pretty out there at night and lots of
dolphins to watch during the day. It saves about three ICWdays for every day
offshore.

Scott

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
"beaufortnc" wrote:

What is the prevailing wisdom about going offshore in the Winter/Spring

Talking mainly about Southeast US coastal hops.

What areas can be dangerous? How are weather patterns different than
other times of the year.

Any specific advice about the hop from Charleston to St. Augustine in
late January?

As long as you pick your weather window, you shouldn't have a problem
whatever the time of year. We've done it once in each direction from
Charleston to the St. Mary's River (Nov 21, 2003), and once from the
St. Mary's River to Charleston (April 10, 2004). We don't like the
harbor entrance in St. Augustine (I've seen a line of breakers
completely across the inlet several times), so we go in to the St.
Mary's River instead. That is a class A Inlet which is probably
maintained for the Kings Bay Sub Base. You could also come into the
St. John's River, but there's more traffic there.

grandma Rosalie