Next message: Pierre Mitham: "Re: lv-ab: Battery Charging: How Charge Large House Bank?"
Between Jupiter Inlet and Ft Lauderdale there are twenty some odd
bridges!!! - So I would suggest going outside for that part (weather
permitting) unless you are particularly keen on sightseeing all the fabulous
homes...
There is actually a counter current to the gulfstream close to shore. We
race in Ft. Lauderdale right up to the swim bouys. Check your chart for how
close you want to get - and of course the weather will be a factor. The
Gulfstream current varies seasonally too and comes closer to shore in Winter
I think?
And while it is common that when the wind is out of the North the gulfstream
seas can get large; also know that this happens in strong storm conditions
with Southerly winds.
Early ('91) on in my sailing experience, I left Jacksonville in great
weather and was doing 10.5 knots on the aft quarter - made it nearly half
the distance to Ft. Lauderdale in 24 hrs; then the wind clocked around and
strengthed! Seas grew to 18 ft offshore - bucking the stream and wind out
of the south; tack, tack, tack, only doing 1 kt towards my destination - I
learned I was far too stubborn then for my own good. Now I would turn
around head back and wait it out - LIVE AND LEARN :). Two days I did that
with my SO sick; no autopilot; I was hand steering 22 hours a day (don't
think any autopilot could have handled that anyway because I had to work the
momentum to get through the seas. I tried going close to shore I tried
further offshore - nothing seemed to be better. I look back on it - and I
was never tired - adrenals working overtime (isn't the body amazing!). At
night by myself (tethered in) every 4th sea broke over me (Flying Cloud is a
"dry" boat normally); dark as pit - I can tell you I was scared. By the
third day I was really hungry as I had not eaten - (the galley makes me sick
in such conditions - so I dared not go there) - I explained to my SO that he
had to make me something to eat (despite him being sick). My sweetheart
made me oatmeal (good choice) and I'll always love him for making that
effort; when the strong winds blew this thick concoction off my spoon I
asked him to take the helm so I could eat. He said just a moment and went
to WINDWARD and was sick - which of course went all over everything. Well a
few moments later another large wave washed us off so no big deal.... We
made it to Jupiter Inlet when we anchored that night at dusk (only 25 miles
for the day) and it took me a week to recover. My face and throat were
burned from the salt; and I practically collapsed from exhaustion as soon as
we were safe and sound. Amazing when its that rough how the seas find their
way into the boat - the leaks are amplified - we needed to dry it out. That
was the worst passage for me; far harder that the 50 foot rollers off Cape
Hatteras but that is another story....
:) Never marry someone until you've been offshore with them - brings out
their REAL character. LOL
Sandra
___________________________________________________________________________
|| The Live-Aboard List : send a "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" request ||
|| in body of message to: ||
