Help Planning an Atlantic Crossing

[silver-fox]

Could I ask for some planning help please?

When is the best time of year to make the trip from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes?
Of those two destinations, which is the best to fly back to the UK for a quick meeting before returning to the boat a week or so later?

Any advice greatly appreciated. (Wouldnt ask but my Jimmy Cornell books and Atlantic routing charts are on the boat and I can't find the answers on the Web )

We plan to cross to Barbados in January and at the moment we have a trip to the Canaries pencilled in for late August. That said we are open to advice on both those dates.

Thanks

 

[Yngmar]

Jimmy's book says you can set off in November, aiming to arrive in the Caribbean in December. My insurance says the hurricane season ends Nov 15 (check with yours), but the weather may not necessarily agree yet and you'll want to wait for the trades to be well established (or pack a lot of food/water). Getting stuck in the Canaries can be expensive, as there's few anchorages and marinas aren't cheap. Personally, I'd cross in mid December so I have a good excuse to ignore xmas

Canaries are great for flying from/to UK, but check flight routes and airports first and pick your island then. Marinas can get full from November on, the ARC starts on Gran Canaria.

If going to the Cape Verdes, don't go to Praia.

 

[macd]

When is the best time of year to make the trip from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes?
Of those two destinations, which is the best to fly back to the UK for a quick meeting before returning to the boat a week or so later?
we have a trip to the Canaries pencilled in for late August.

Within your window, earlier rather than late. By November weather patterns tend to be more erratic (but generally doable); in September and the first half of October, you're more likely to enjoy sustained downwind sailing. Flights from Canaries to UK are far more frequent, cheaper and simpler than from the Verdes.

The Verdes seem to arouse quite polarised views. I loved them: great, unspoiled area to explore. Don't cramp yourself for time. From there you can expect more downwind all the way to the Antilles.

 

[jdc]

I think that people often go too early. The Canaries are very attractive and fun over new year, and Cape Verde is fine during Jan and early Feb. Maybe aim to be in the Caribbean around end Feb? Winds are much more reliable and established then, and the ARC is long gone so it's less crowded. In truth, the Caribbean isn't that nice at xmas - not the parties or people, who are as ever lovely, but the 'xmas trades' blow F6 for days on end making it not so peaceful.

Flying back to the UK is without doubt better from the Canaries, or, if you do go later in the year, possibly Madeira might suit your dates better? I flew back from Madeira for a couple of days business, and then from Tenerife for xmas at home, returning to the Canaries for new year, before going to Cape Verde for 'Carnaval'. Unfortunately that's not 'til 5th March next year, so really too late in all probability. The problem with Cape verde for flying home is that where you could reasonably leave the boat is at Mindelo on São Vincente whereas the international flights are to/from the 'holiday' islands to the east such as Boa Vista or Sal, and you'd have to then take ferries. Doable but more hassle.

Edit: one recommendation, not mine but it nonetheless strikes me as not a bad idea, is to sail in summer to Madeira and haul the boat out there, relaunching in November or even early December. There is an amazing boat store under the runway at the new airport, easily high enough for the tallest masts!

 

[silver-fox]

Thanks guys!
So would sailing down to the Canaries in September, have a sail round he Canaries till December, fly home for Christmas,
Return mid January, then set of for the Cape Verdes. Stay there maybe 3 weeks and then mid February set off for Barbados.

Will that optimise the weather and the costs in the Canaries?

 

[jdc]

It's an excellent plan as far as weather and winds are concerned. Can't say that it'll help with costs much. The ARC is the thing to avoid - pushes up costs and books up facilities generally. They congregate from Oct onwards and leave the Canaries about mid to late November. Best arrive after they've gone.

I liked Porto Santo and Madeira and recommend them for November.

Edit: the ARC really concentrates around Gran Canaria, so I surmise (I didn't test it) that should you go to Tazacorte say while the ARC is on it might still be fine. Hence on reflection arriving in Sept might work provided you find somewhere as far from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as possible for the whole of November. There's certainly 3 - 4 months worth of things to do in the 'Islands Fortunate'. Gomera and La Palma are really special, all the more so if you like walking and/or cycling.

 

[AndrewB]

The Verdes seem to arouse quite polarised views. I loved them: great, unspoiled area to explore.

True. I like Mindelo, that's worth visiting; but the rest is very missable, the people often quite unpleasant.

It may be worth mentioning that there is a slight risk of tangling with desperate "people smuggler" boats between the Canaries and Cape Verdes, and care should be taken. The skipper of the catamaran Tallulah posted here some years ago an account of a dramatic encounter he had (see http://www.ybw.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-153281.html).

 

[Bajansailor]

I cannot help re best time to make the passage from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes. Although I have twice sailed the route from the Canaries to the Windies, and each time we departed from the Canaries in November, and we had a straightforward passage each time.

When you arrive in Barbados, please do give me a shout if you have any questions about anything here, or if you would like to meet up for a beer and a chat sometime.
Or if you have any questions prior to setting off from the Old World!

 

[KellysEye]

>in September and the first half of October, you're more likely to enjoy sustained downwind sailing.

Hurricane season.

 

[jdc]

>in September and the first half of October, you're more likely to enjoy sustained downwind sailing.

Hurricane season.

I don't understand the point you're making. The prevailing winds between the Canaries and Cape Verde don't change much between Sept and Feb do they? I've just looked at the routing chart and it's NE 64% of the time in Oct and 67% in Jan - the rest being almost entirely N with only 1% or less of calms.

And the hurricane season comment also seems odd. The Hurricane season, say June to October is more likely to result in local depressions near Cape Verde - a small proportion of which go on to become hurricanes once they've crossed the Atlantic.

Imho it's just as propitious to travel from the Canaries to Cape Verde in January as it is in September.

 

[KellysEye]

The Hurricane season, say June to October is more likely to result in local depressions near Cape Verde

The official Caribbean hurricane season runs from the 1st June through to 30th November. Hurricanes start to the west of the Cape Verdes so you need to plan to arrive in the Caribbean before hurricane season. Bear in mind the gale force Christmas winds in the Caribbean they don't happen every year but when they do sailing grinds to a halt, so get there before Christmas or after January. When we were the we had a hurricane in January, it was a record year for hurricanes and Cat 5s.

 

[jdc]

All fine - in fact pretty much exactly what I said in my posts - but why does that mean you advise the OP to make passage from the Canaries to Cape Verde during September? Seems potty to me.

 

[capnsensible]

All fine - in fact pretty much exactly what I said in my posts - but why does that mean you advise the OP to make passage from the Canaries to Cape Verde during September? Seems potty to me.

Perhaps a look at the Hurricane archives would help?

https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at2003.asp

Canaries to Cape Verdes in September really isnt a problem. Have seen boats on delivery leaving here (Canaries) at that time. Stay below about 10N during the crossing.

There are plenty of places south of the West Indies to make an early arrival before heading north later. I reckon you can cross just about all year round if you are not in a rush and head south. Ive been down to 9 north to find a bit of breeze when Ive not been on delivery but cruising.

 

[capnsensible]

That was 2003, all of them here:

https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/hurrarchive.asp

 

[KellysEye]

>but why does that mean you advise the OP to make passage from the Canaries to Cape Verde during September? Seems potty to me.

I have never mentioned the timing of a passage to the Cape Verdes just when to arrive in the Caribbean.

 

[macd]

I have never mentioned the timing of a passage to the Cape Verdes just when to arrive in the Caribbean.

But you did lift a quote specifically about timings for the Canaries-Verdes leg and respond with the sole words "Hurricane season".

 

[Zing]

Perhaps a look at the Hurricane archives would help?

https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at2003.asp

Canaries to Cape Verdes in September really isnt a problem. Have seen boats on delivery leaving here (Canaries) at that time. Stay below about 10N during the crossing.

There are plenty of places south of the West Indies to make an early arrival before heading north later. I reckon you can cross just about all year round if you are not in a rush and head south. Ive been down to 9 north to find a bit of breeze when Ive not been on delivery but cruising.

I think you have to add to that advice, so long as you watch the weather synoptic charts daily and escape south if trouble brews up.

 

[capnsensible]

I think you have to add to that advice, so long as you watch the weather synoptic charts daily and escape south if trouble brews up.

Well of course but then you would have to add to your add on to my advice that you need to get a computer with a weather programme and Iridium Go.

Or do what most people do and stay south at that time of year......

 

[silver-fox]

I cannot help re best time to make the passage from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes. Although I have twice sailed the route from the Canaries to the Windies, and each time we departed from the Canaries in November, and we had a straightforward passage each time.

When you arrive in Barbados, please do give me a shout if you have any questions about anything here, or if you would like to meet up for a beer and a chat sometime.
Or if you have any questions prior to setting off from the Old World!

Thanks Bajansailor

 

[KellysEye]

>But you did lift a quote specifically about timings for the Canaries-Verdes leg and respond with the sole words "Hurricane season".

Hurricane season has nothing to do with the Cape Verdes I was merely pointing out you got it wrong.