Atlantic circuit, leaving UK December returning March

[gertha]

The much changing world has created a few challenges.
Historicaly I have sailed the Atlantic circuit , UK to Carib 3 times, Each time I have sailed from UK in June left boat Algarve or Med, flown home worked flown out sailed and over 12 months hoped the boat round the Atlantic between trips home to keep the cash flowing and the Alcohol consumption down.
The above sailing model is now out the window.

A few question.
1 Best harbour in south England to wait for weather window, I am thinking Dartmouth.
2 How far south before I clear potential poor weather from west in December
3 What is wind like Carib to Azores in March.

I accept this is all speculation, as ports may still be closed and any amount of other problems.
My thought is ports will be open but nervous, hence be on boat at all times with enough food to return to UK If the virus bubbles up .
Insurance, probably not a deal breaker, my guess is they will give it to me.
People may ask why I am even thinking this way, the simple answer is I need something to look forward to and sailing the Caribbean next winter with a limited number of cruise ships has to be close to heaven, complete in self sufficient get you home toy.

Simon

 

[[70521]]

Some American friends waited in Falmouth for a weather window, to cross the Bay of Biscay, over December/January a few years back. They had quite a wait but got over safely.

 

[PhillM]

Could you get a delivery crew to either help, or take your boat to the Canaries this summer, then fly out and go from there?

 

[Laser310]

3 What is wind like Carib to Azores in March.

March is a little early for that voyage.

You would either pass close to Bermuda.., or actually stop there. With a good 5 day forecast from, say, BVI.., you might get to Bermuda without too much difficulty.

Bermuda to the Azores is quite close to a primary track for storms that is quite active through March and into April. Storms on this track often originate in the waters off of Cape Hatteras, move over the Gulf Stream, and continue E or ENE. The distance to the Azores is great enough that no pre-departure forecast will be of much value past the mid-point in the voyage. These storms can easily achieve force 8 or more. The wind fields can be quite large when they reach the middle of the Atlantic, so the opportunity to change course and get away isn't as great as you might expect.

I would think a departure from Bermuda no earlier than late April is more likely to result in an enjoyable passage.

 

[GHA]

3 What is wind like Carib to Azores in March

DeepZoom Global Ocean Winds

 

[Laminar Flow]

The current pandemic leaves it up to speculation how many ports might be open on the way to the Canaries. In winter a passage of this length in the North Atlantic would require a substantial weather window to get there in one piece.
1993, in November, we got hammered off the African Coast on the way to Lanzarote with a yacht sinking off Arrecife and a catastrophic situation in Madeira with bodies floating in port. Worst storm in a generation we were told and all over the news, scaring the living ... out of our families.
This to your point #2.

 

[Laser310]

DeepZoom Global Ocean Winds

I have always viewed that data at the COGOW site - Climatology of Global Ocean Winds

but your site with the different colored frequency bars on the wind rose is a bit easier to read. The COGOW site has black or grey scale frequencies on the wind rose

Thanks.

Still, the frequency bars, with the maximum category being only "over 25kts", are still a bit hard to really understand in terms of the severity of the storms that occur on that route in march. 50kts is easily possible.

The US NGA pilot chart for march has force 8 or greater at 15% of ship records on one part of that route in march

https://msi.nga.mil/api/publications/download?key=16693989/SFH00000/106mar.pdf&type=view

If one is really curious - download the Euro Reanalysis (ERA-5) for the last 5 years in march.

 

[Frogmogman]

March is a little early for that voyage.

You would either pass close to Bermuda.., or actually stop there. With a good 5 day forecast from, say, BVI.., you might get to Bermuda without too much difficulty.

Bermuda to the Azores is quite close to a primary track for storms that is quite active through March and into April. Storms on this track often originate in the waters off of Cape Hatteras, move over the Gulf Stream, and continue E or ENE. The distance to the Azores is great enough that no pre-departure forecast will be of much value past the mid-point in the voyage. These storms can easily achieve force 8 or more. The wind fields can be quite large when they reach the middle of the Atlantic, so the opportunity to change course and get away isn't as great as you might expect.

I would think a departure from Bermuda no earlier than late April is more likely to result in an enjoyable passage.

Yep. I've crossed from West to East at that time of year, and it was pretty frisky.