nickrj
Well-Known Member
As per the subject, what is the europe to america transatlantic crossing season? n
Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
- Thread starter nickrj
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nickrj
Well-Known Member
To answer my own question, December seems like a popular month. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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ccscott49
Well-Known Member
Yep it is, but november till jan, but I've seen folk do it, october and feb.
nickrj
Well-Known Member
Heard of anyone doing it in May/June?
Talbot
Well-Known Member
The hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin, which includes the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. Hence the popularity of December.
The pilot charts give you detail of the current and prevailing average winds per month and can be downloaded from here select atlas of pilot charts, then select the area of interest, you will then be able to see the monthly data.
The pilot charts give you detail of the current and prevailing average winds per month and can be downloaded from here select atlas of pilot charts, then select the area of interest, you will then be able to see the monthly data.
nickrj
Well-Known Member
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
Thankyou muchly. Guess I'll be going the other way then.
Thankyou muchly. Guess I'll be going the other way then.
Talbot
Well-Known Member
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
Tropical Storm Seasons
Tropical Storms can, and do, develop out of season; the dates of the storm seasons below are a guide only as storms may develop outside of these dates (during the official storm season dates, storm risk is very high, outside of these dates storm risk is low but not zero, especially the period just before and just after the official dates).
ATLANTIC North
Official season: June - November
NE PACIFIC
Official season: May - November
NW PACIFIC
Official season: All Year - Worst - July - Oct
SOUTH PACIFIC
Official season: November - April
SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN
Official season: December- April
ARABIAN SEA
Official season: April - December - Worst - Apr-May, and Oct-Nov
BAY OF BENGAL
Official season: May - December
See also:
“Bowditch - The American Practical Navigator” (Chapter 35 Tropical Cyclones)
available from the same place as the Atlas of Pilot Charts on my previous post.
Tropical Storm Seasons
Tropical Storms can, and do, develop out of season; the dates of the storm seasons below are a guide only as storms may develop outside of these dates (during the official storm season dates, storm risk is very high, outside of these dates storm risk is low but not zero, especially the period just before and just after the official dates).
ATLANTIC North
Official season: June - November
NE PACIFIC
Official season: May - November
NW PACIFIC
Official season: All Year - Worst - July - Oct
SOUTH PACIFIC
Official season: November - April
SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN
Official season: December- April
ARABIAN SEA
Official season: April - December - Worst - Apr-May, and Oct-Nov
BAY OF BENGAL
Official season: May - December
See also:
“Bowditch - The American Practical Navigator” (Chapter 35 Tropical Cyclones)
available from the same place as the Atlas of Pilot Charts on my previous post.
shamrock
Well-Known Member
Good question as we are planning same next year. Can the experts comment on:
Leaving UK October (maximise remaining earning time etc)
Allow 2-3 weeks in e.g. Falmouth to wait for weather window in Biscay
About 2 weeks to the Azores for crew change
Leave within a few days again target arrival late to end Nov in e.g. Antigua
(maximise season in Carib. + christmas in nice places etc.)
Boat is long keel 43 feet cutter.
Crew will be me + say 3 other experienced sailors
Wife + young kids will cross by 747 or similar
Leaving UK October (maximise remaining earning time etc)
Allow 2-3 weeks in e.g. Falmouth to wait for weather window in Biscay
About 2 weeks to the Azores for crew change
Leave within a few days again target arrival late to end Nov in e.g. Antigua
(maximise season in Carib. + christmas in nice places etc.)
Boat is long keel 43 feet cutter.
Crew will be me + say 3 other experienced sailors
Wife + young kids will cross by 747 or similar
nickrj
Well-Known Member
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
Thank you, very helpful. I think in my own stupidity, I was reading something which mentioned 'transatlantic crossings should be attempted during the winter months to avoid hurricanes' or something similar, and being from Australia, I automatically translated that into May/June.
I should try and remember I live in EUROPE now. Ha! n.
Thank you, very helpful. I think in my own stupidity, I was reading something which mentioned 'transatlantic crossings should be attempted during the winter months to avoid hurricanes' or something similar, and being from Australia, I automatically translated that into May/June.
I should try and remember I live in EUROPE now. Ha! n.
Conachair
Guest
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
Get hold of a copy of "Ocean passages of the world" by Jimmy Cornell or "Ocean Passages and landfalls" by Rod Heikel and Andy O'Grady. Both will give route and optimum timings along with weather, currents and more. Essential reading, I would say.
From Ocean Passages: NAW4: Med to Lesser Antiles (Gib - Antigua 3,200 miles). Season - November - April, Best times Mid November - December.
NAW6 Western Europe to USA east coast (Falmouth - Newport 2,070 miles) Season May - September, best time July / August.
North route seems to suffer from headwinds, fog and ice though, I think most people go to Caribbean Via Canaries.
Get hold of a copy of "Ocean passages of the world" by Jimmy Cornell or "Ocean Passages and landfalls" by Rod Heikel and Andy O'Grady. Both will give route and optimum timings along with weather, currents and more. Essential reading, I would say.
From Ocean Passages: NAW4: Med to Lesser Antiles (Gib - Antigua 3,200 miles). Season - November - April, Best times Mid November - December.
NAW6 Western Europe to USA east coast (Falmouth - Newport 2,070 miles) Season May - September, best time July / August.
North route seems to suffer from headwinds, fog and ice though, I think most people go to Caribbean Via Canaries.
nickrj
Well-Known Member
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
NAW6 Western Europe to USA east coast (Falmouth - Newport 2,070 miles) Season May - September, best time July / August.
??
Didn't we just agree that it was a bad time to sail from Europe to the USA during those months, with Nov/December being the best? Or am I missing something?
In a nutshell I need to get to Australia, leaving Devon UK in May/June 2007.
I have the Cornell book in my amazon wish list, but not the other - Cheers, n.
NAW6 Western Europe to USA east coast (Falmouth - Newport 2,070 miles) Season May - September, best time July / August.
??
Didn't we just agree that it was a bad time to sail from Europe to the USA during those months, with Nov/December being the best? Or am I missing something?
In a nutshell I need to get to Australia, leaving Devon UK in May/June 2007.
I have the Cornell book in my amazon wish list, but not the other - Cheers, n.
Conachair
Guest
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
NAW 6 is the northern route, but I don't think many people do it unless racing. Going to Caribbean from Canaries you can head south a bit to pick up the trade winds, then it supposedly downwind the whole way. I think maybe the easiest and most pleasent sailing route to Aus might be Canaries - Caribbean - Panama - Polynesia - Australia. Probably not the quickest though. What boat / crew did you have in mind? I only left UK a month ago and have noticed straight away that having lots of time is a very good thing, not just to be able to wait for a weather window but to enjoy the places along the way. Haven't made it past Brest yet as north Brittany was so fab. Good luck.
NAW 6 is the northern route, but I don't think many people do it unless racing. Going to Caribbean from Canaries you can head south a bit to pick up the trade winds, then it supposedly downwind the whole way. I think maybe the easiest and most pleasent sailing route to Aus might be Canaries - Caribbean - Panama - Polynesia - Australia. Probably not the quickest though. What boat / crew did you have in mind? I only left UK a month ago and have noticed straight away that having lots of time is a very good thing, not just to be able to wait for a weather window but to enjoy the places along the way. Haven't made it past Brest yet as north Brittany was so fab. Good luck.
nickrj
Well-Known Member
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
Hmm, I see. I need to do a lot of figuring out, just to work out whether I go left or right!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:CircumnavigationByTrades.png
I have nay crew, just me, and a red Contessa 26' and a dream.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
n
Hmm, I see. I need to do a lot of figuring out, just to work out whether I go left or right!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:CircumnavigationByTrades.png
I have nay crew, just me, and a red Contessa 26' and a dream.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
n
Conachair
Guest
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
More than one contessa 26 has been all the way around. Tania Aebi did it when she was 18, can't remember the name of the book though. If you've got the boat and the dream then you're a long way down the path of casting off.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowline. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
More than one contessa 26 has been all the way around. Tania Aebi did it when she was 18, can't remember the name of the book though. If you've got the boat and the dream then you're a long way down the path of casting off.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowline. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
Grehan
Well-Known Member
Tania Abei
[ QUOTE ]
Tania Aebi did it when she was 18, can't remember the name of the book though.
[/ QUOTE ]
<u>"Maiden Voyage"</u> - bloomin' good read.
[ QUOTE ]
Tania Aebi did it when she was 18, can't remember the name of the book though.
[/ QUOTE ]
<u>"Maiden Voyage"</u> - bloomin' good read.
Swagman
Well-Known Member
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
Does anyone else recall reading recently that the 'normal' December dates of the ARC are perhaps a month early? From somewhere I've obtained a view the very best month to go east to west Canaries to Carib was January and not December?
If I am wrong please correct me - as we aim to go in 2007.
JOHN
Does anyone else recall reading recently that the 'normal' December dates of the ARC are perhaps a month early? From somewhere I've obtained a view the very best month to go east to west Canaries to Carib was January and not December?
If I am wrong please correct me - as we aim to go in 2007.
JOHN
Sea Devil
Well-Known Member
Re: Europe->America optimal Atlantic crossing dates
It all depends when the trade winds establish themselves. Normally it is around January when you should get a faster crossing!
Michael
It all depends when the trade winds establish themselves. Normally it is around January when you should get a faster crossing!
Michael
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Cornell\'s book
"Ocean Passages of the World", ain't on the Amazon site.
You'll probably end up with the British Admiralty book, which is certainly heavier and probably more authoritative (and expensive).
"Ocean Passages of the World", ain't on the Amazon site.
You'll probably end up with the British Admiralty book, which is certainly heavier and probably more authoritative (and expensive).
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Just wait
until you get to S Brittany.
And le Poitevin
and N Spain - especially the Rias Biaxas.
It's a mugs' game rushing places.
until you get to S Brittany.
And le Poitevin
and N Spain - especially the Rias Biaxas.
It's a mugs' game rushing places.
Auspicious
Active Member
Re: Just wait
Jimmy Cornell's book is "World Cruising Routes" and is quite good. Note that careful reading will indicate that the southern route is popular because it is easy, not faster. I left Sweden in late April this year for Southampton, Plymouth, Azores, Bermuda, Norfolk VA USA, and Annapolis MD. I arrived in mid-June. I spent a week in Plymouth waiting for good weather, and a week in Horta waiting for a crew change.
I highly recommend a SSB radio and kit for receiving weather fax. When you get far enough west, check in with Herb Hilgenbrand on the Southbound II weather net. See http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm . I found Herb's forecasts as good or better than the alternatives (including my own reading of synoptic charts -- taking a course now to improve). His routing recommendations tend to be conservative, pushing you toward areas with 5 - 10 kt winds; I had to keep reminding I wanted 15 - 20 kts and was more than willing to risk 30 to increase the chances of good air.
It was uphill most of the way, but we did have three or four glorious days west of Horta with the chute up.
Jimmy Cornell's book is "World Cruising Routes" and is quite good. Note that careful reading will indicate that the southern route is popular because it is easy, not faster. I left Sweden in late April this year for Southampton, Plymouth, Azores, Bermuda, Norfolk VA USA, and Annapolis MD. I arrived in mid-June. I spent a week in Plymouth waiting for good weather, and a week in Horta waiting for a crew change.
I highly recommend a SSB radio and kit for receiving weather fax. When you get far enough west, check in with Herb Hilgenbrand on the Southbound II weather net. See http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm . I found Herb's forecasts as good or better than the alternatives (including my own reading of synoptic charts -- taking a course now to improve). His routing recommendations tend to be conservative, pushing you toward areas with 5 - 10 kt winds; I had to keep reminding I wanted 15 - 20 kts and was more than willing to risk 30 to increase the chances of good air.
It was uphill most of the way, but we did have three or four glorious days west of Horta with the chute up.
