Crossing the Gulf Stream

	During the preceding three weeks (while stuck at Vero Beach waiting for parts), I listened to a great many opinions concerning when, where and how gulf stream crossing should be undertaken. The only problem I could see with all this interesting and probably quite valuable information, was that it was mostly being espoused by seasoned cruisers in seaworthy blue water boats who were content to sit idly around for weeks on end bemoaning the lack of an "ideal" weather window. Sitting around is not something either of us are very good at for long periods of time, so after listening to everything being said, we checked the weather outlook and headed for closest exit as soon as conditions looked promising. Not surprisingly, there were more than a few people mumbling "you're going now?" as we cast off our mooring at Vero Beach, but as you can see, not only did we survive but we had a very enjoyable trip. Last I heard, there were 200+ boats in Lake Worth and Miami still waiting for that ideal window to materialize... guess its no surprise the locals in the Abacos were crying over the significant lack of visiting yachtsmen. I consider the following to be my list of important factors when planning a gulf stream crossing. If you are planning to undertake a similar crossing, your circumstances will be different to ours, so I encourage you to listen, observe and act accordingly. Most important of all, think for yourself and avoid following the herd!

	1. Follow the 7 P's (Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Pretty Poor Performance) Make sure you have thoroughly inspected your boat, can rely on its systems and have secured anything which might fly about if you find yourself in some unexpectedly heavy weather. Carry the appropriate safety gear (e.g. Current charts, inspected liferaft, EPIRB, SOLAS flares, spare GPS, spare VHF, etc) and know how to use everything in advance! 2. Check the weather When we crossed the Straits of Florida, the gulf stream was flowing between 4.0-4.5 knots for much of its width. Any appreciable wind with a significant northerly component is likely to create very steep seas and hence dangerous conditions in the stream. This is usually the factor people are most concerned about when contemplating departure. The general "cruiser-think" consensus seems to be to wait for moderate southerly breezes, preferably a few days after any lingering seas have subsided. In theory this is a fine philosophy, however a significant number of wintertime frontal passages appear to only have moderate northerly winds, followed by quite strong southerlies. Under these conditions, if you wait for the southerly, you might be traveling in 6-8' seas instead of 2-3' when the wind blows from the east. As far as I'm concerned, my only prerequisite is to make sure the wind isn't going to be back in the north or northeast for at least 24 hours. Beyond that, wind strength and sea state play a big part in the equation as my comfort level relates directly to my crew's comfort level. 3. Pick a departure point Once again, the velocity of the stream makes choice of departure point important, especially if you have a slower vessel like ours. We generally consider we can motor at 5.5 knots in calm conditions, however if we motor-sail or have a favorable breeze, this increases to 6.5 knots or more. Conventional wisdom has most people believing the most northerly crossing point is Lake Worth near West Palm Beach, Florida. This is probably true if you are heading to West End, Freeport or Nassau, but there are other options if conditions look immediately favorable and you don't happen to be in the "right" place. We departed from Fort Pierce inlet, with the intention of crossing the stream at right angles, then making additional southing once through the other side. As it turned out, the moderate easterly wind provided an ideal opportunity to motor-sail on a close reach and make our southing during the crossing. At one point it even looked like we might end up too far south to hit the waypoint at White Sand Ridge on the Little Bahama Bank. 4. Be flexible Be prepared to turn around if anticipated actual conditions don't meet with expectations, and have a few alternate ports of entry in mind if you find you need to change course for any reason. When it looked like we might end up further south than expected, I was about to consider diverting to West End, had it not been for a small wind shift which rapidly ended the discussion. Finally, let me leave you with a tale related to me by a local at Pete's Pub in Little Harbour, Abaco: Some time back, this same seafarer found himself trying to cross the Straits of Florida in a 16' dory under considerably less than ideal conditions. He was beginning to think about turning back, when out of the corner of his eye he spied another small runabout piloted by "two tourists". Not wanting to be outdone, he pressed on for a while longer, until he once again found himself slowing to reconsider his folly. At about the same time, the tourists raced past him and made off into the distance on a very different course from the one they had all been following. Some time later, after (amazingly) reaching his destination, the intrepid mariner was asked by another boater whether he'd heard about the rescue drama? Apparently the tourists had got into difficulties and called the coast guard to save them. When asked why they were out in those conditions, their reply was that they were following the guy in front because he must have known what he was doing, however he "abandoned" them without warning out in the middle of the ocean!

	_{Copyright © 2004 Trudy and Graham Norbury. All rights reserved. Page revised: 12/31/05}