West to East Trans Atlantic

[CraigBradley]

We're at the very early stages of planning to sail from St. Maarten to Gibraltar and to get the ball rolling wondered if there is any good advice others have? The boat is a 38' cat.
1. Would a sail directly north to Bermuda, then curve around to the Azores be a possible route or is there another better route?
2. When are the best times of year to sail to get decent breeze and miss the hurricane season?
Many thanks in anticipation.

 

[TigaWave]

In theory you head North, with some East if you can until your sitting at the bottom of the low pressure systems that swing across the atlantic, and thus give you S then SW then W winds as they pass. There are routing charts that suggest average weather for time of year and how far North to go. We went in May then watch the weather systems, listen to ssb forcasts and routing advice from Herb get daily weather charts to watch for systems swinging further south, so you're prepared.
We missed Bermuda as a low pressure swung south across Bermuda giving strong winds for a time, so we staid farther out to the East. Further south less wind further north more wind. but still be prepared for the unusual, we had very strong winds for 2 days 500 miles from the Azores.
The point is that once you've left your committed and the boat travels so slowly compared to the weather systems that the best you get is warnings of their approach, and the chance to ease yourself an extra 100 miles away from the worst of the weather, before they get to you.
Coming back is much more about weather reading of clouds and a game of cat and mouse than going the other way, but equally more satisfying on arrival.
We had plenty of wind and never went above 37degrees N until a couple of days before we arrived in Horta.
Best thing is to talk to other people out there as there's certain to be a few veterans of many crossings, and find am ssb net you can listen into with boats leaving the same time, its reassuring to know your not the only one when your in a storm!

 

[Talbot]

Strongly recommend that you invest in a full copy of Visual Passage Planer http://www.digwave.com/store.htm. Use this to work out the best route and timing for current and wind.

 

[AndrewB]

I'd recommend the RCC 'Atlantic Cruising Guide' for much of the information you are going to need. Its available from most large chandlers. The route you suggest, via Bermuda, is normal, to avoid the worst of the doldrums of the direct route back. Even so, plan for the possibility of some days without wind before you reach the Azores. Its possible to go any time out of the hurricane season, i.e. between December - June inclusive. Most people will be leaving around May-June, when the Caribbean 'season' ends and winter gales in the northern Atlantic are over.