Chesapeake to Bermuda and BVI in December?

[magnusmurphy]

Hi

All the talk of the ICW shoaling up is making me reconsider my plans of going down the ICW in early December. An alternative is to go straight to Bermuda and the BVI and then visit the Bahamas on the return. Only problem, we cannot go untill early December.

What are the risks of Northerly storms at that time of year? Most people doing this go in November. Is December too late?

Magnus Murphy

[SanderO]

The offshore route offers no guaranty of fair weather. But it is a completely different sailing experience and you are not motoring and constantly looking out for other vessels and shoals and bridges and a place to park.

Seeing the Bahamas from East to west is usually a downwind sail as opposed to a beat to windward.

I'd look for a few vessels to travel with and do the Bermuda-BVI route. Use a weather routing service as well... and make sure your SSB is working well.

jef
sv shiva

[camaraderie]

Too late Magnus...be gone by 11/1 or forget about it!
If you can't leave till 12/1 I would suggest doing short coastal hops, ducking in to the ICW when the weather kicks up. Even those short hops can be problematic in December as the wind and chill and spray makes going outside a thoroughly unpleasant experience even in good sailing conditions.
What is your draft??

[speciald]

I went from Hampton to Puerto Rico last year in the first week of December and had the best sail of my life. Went East-South-East until about 150 miles from Bermuda, hung a right and close reached all the way to Puerto Rico without touching the sails. North-easters become more frequent in the Northern part but once you pickup the trades you should be out of trouble. Look at pilot charts for this period of time to get an idea of the weather.

[magnusmurphy]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Our boat draws 5ft 10. It is a bluewater boat (Shearwater 39).

Damn, this is a difficult decision...

Magnus