CRUISING FOR THE SEASON IS NOT JUST ABOUT WHERE TO GO BUT WHEN
CRUISING FOR THE SEASON IS NOT JUST ABOUT WHERE TO GO BUT WHEN
Some cruisers just go when and where the wind blows, some cruisers study historic weather patterns, ocean currents and pilot charts to loosely plan their season in advance to get from Point A to Point B in a given amount of time, and some cruisers look at the time they have, where they want to go in that time and create a schedule.ย Many cruisers plan their voyages somewhere in between a mix of all these methods.
Recently, members of the Ocean Posse LineApp group had a discussion that highlights different variables and considerations when cruising, how to think ahead and be prepared to be flexible once a voyage begins.ย Cruising is not just about where we go, but when as well.ย Concepts discussed are the seasonality of historic weather patterns, probability of weather windows, prevailing winds, and the fun/comfort factor that a vessel and her crew are after.
This conversation was beneficial and highlights a Perk of the Ocean Posse: ๐ Benefit from the latest information and prior experience participants
Member A (first season in Panama):
Cruising plans for next cruising season.
Go through the canal in early December.
Early January to Roatan then cruise from there to Rio Dulce and Belize until end of April.
Beginning of May back down to Panama and cruise San Blas to Cartagena for May and June.
Next summer in Cartagena.
Does this seem like a reasonable itinerary?
If so weโd love a buddy boat to cruise from Panama at least to Roatan. If anyone is even slightly interested in that please reach out to us. We are a power boat and cruise at 7-8 knots.
Member B (11th season cruising along Pacific Central American coast through to Caribbean Side of Panama):
Passage from Panama to Roatan can be pretty sporty in mid January. Plan to be sensitive to weather windows. The Christmas winds are usually full blown about then.
Member A :
If we get a window to get up there how will the cruising conditions be during those months?
Member B:
Have a look at the sources referenced in this article. Wave heights can be in the 8โ range near roatan mid January, which puts (our) fun meter pretty deep in the red. YMMV.
Getting out of Panama is hard in the months you mention (December-March), other than getting to Cartagena Colombia (which can be done with reasonable ease any time of year). So maybe a Bocas del toro/ san blas islands/ trip to Cartagena would suit the time frame you mention. Optionally returning to Panama if you like, or staging from Cartagena for next season.
Member A :
Thanks for the feedback. Doesnโt sound like the best itinerary.
The conversation went on with a few other members chiming in about their experiences (either their own or that of others they have know) cruising this stretch of coast previous seasons.ย These added considerations led Member A to propose and alternate route/schedule for the upcoming season to which again Member B responded.
With a bit of back and forth everyone privy to the conversation had the opportunity to truly consider the importance of looking to the prevailing weather and the seasonality of cruising routes that have been used to the sailors advantage for centuries to plan for safety, comfort, and fun along the way.
SYย AVANTย ๐จ๐ฆ Rob & Debra โย Beneteau 43.5 & MY TIDINGS OF JOY ๐บ๐ธ Jeff & Joy - DeFever 52โฒ & SY MAISON DE SANTร ๐บ๐ธ Nicole & Keenan - ย Cal 46'
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR IDEAS ON CRUISING PLANNING!
SAILORS HAVE BEEN USING THE GULF STREAM FOR CENTURIES
The Gulf Stream is part of a global conveyor belt of ocean current that mixes global ocean waters (salinity density and temperature) around the globe.ย Like creatures of the sea, sailors have been using different currents in this conveyor belt for centuries.ย A very important current in the Atlantic Ocean is the Gulf Stream. Basically, SE trade winds blow and drive warm surface water from the mid/south Atlantic between Western Africa and Northeastern South America northwest through the Caribbean to the Gulf of Mexico.ย The turning of the earth and the west winds then drive this current north east up eastern North America.ย As the gulf stream gets more north it splits in a few different directions towards Europe and the North Atlantic.
The Gulf Stream is very important for the European climate as it brings warm air to the continent that would otherwise be quite cool.ย The Gulf Stream is 10,000 km long and moves at 2m/sec making it the largest and fastest of all the ocean currents on earth.ย Some people liken it to a river of water in the ocean.ย The Gulf Stream was discovered by early Spanish explorers over 500 years ago and was used to both colonize the West and bring wealth and fortune back to Spain.ย For this reason the Gulf Stream has had a huge impact on the history and culture of the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe.
Consider Christopher Columbusโs final transatlantic voyage, when conquistadors carved out a vast and wealthy overseas empire for Spain, first in the Caribbean as far north as what is now Florida and then on the mainlands of Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru: these early ships used the Gulf Stream.ย Products of these tropical and mountainous territories brought high prices on the Continent, and Spanish galleons sailed home laden with exotic dyes, sugar, tobacco, chocolate, pearls, hardwoods, and silver and gold. These so-called โtreasure fleetsโ made Spain the most powerful and envied nation in Renaissance Europe. Thanks to the travels of Ponce de Leon in 1513, Spanish navigators knew that the best return route from Spainโs rich Caribbean possessions was along the Gulf Stream, through the Bahama Channel, and past the shores of Florida. The Spanish knew they must defend this peninsula to prevent enemies from using its harbors as havens from which to raid the passing treasure fleets.ย The Spanish built Forts to defend their positions in the New World.ย One such Fort was built on the East Coast of modern day Florida:
ย CASTILLO SAN MARCOS, St Augustine Florida
Seeย https://oceanposse.com/castillo-san-marcos/ to learn more about the Spanish Must See Fort along the Ocean Posse route in San Augustine, Florida.
For Ocean Posse vessels looking to cross the Atlantic Ocean the Gulf Stream has been and continues to be very important voyage planning consideration.ย Two big challenges are the higher amount of large vessel traffic in the Gulf Stream and the warmer water in the Gulf Stream which translates to thunderstorms or worse. For these two reasons many mariners cross the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible relative to their destination.