Sailing outside

[pbrasfield]

My wife and I are new to sailing. We started about a year ago and are still not real comfortable with heavy wind and rough conditions. Most of our experience has been in the St Johns River and the ICW. We have a 34 foot Cal Sailboat. My question is this:

We are planning a trip of 30-35 miles. The forecast calls for 3-5 foot seas with 12-15 knots of winds. I do not want to be too cautious and know to some sailors that the conditions would not be a problem but I do not want to get in over my head.

Please give advice and thoughts.

Thanks,

Pat

[kananumpua]

Just jotting some ideas down.

If you feel the winds are a bit above your comfort level you could always put a reef in before you even leave the dock.

You could also bring a more experienced friend along as an extra hand.

I'm not sure what kind of dynamic you and your wife have on board, but if I would encourage your wife's involvement in all aspects of handling the boat. It is a good safety measure.

Leave a float plan with a trusted friend.

[DwayneSpeer]

I don't know about the east coast but a 3 to 5 foot seas forecast on the west coast isn't bad at all. Here it refers mostly to the swell that is almost always present. Your boat will ride up and over them easily. You didn't mention the period between the seas or swell. That is the time from one crest to another. The longer it is the easier the ride.
12 to 15 knot winds are perfect for sailing. Enough to get you up to speed but not enough to require reefing unless your boat is really tender. You could, as already suggested, put in a reef in the main before you go just in case and let it out as you build confidence.

Good luck!

[nolatom]

Much depends on the direction of the wind and seas compared to your course "outside". If you'll have them on the beam or aft, should be a nice reach or broad reach, you'll make about 5 knots and it will be a nice day.

If too much forward of the beam, or if you end up beating, then 35 miles can be a long trip indeed. Still doable, but not as comfortable nor speedy.

Either way you should be okay, but if the wind is "on the nose" and 3-5' seas, consider going inside (assume you're on NE Fla coast?). But if you'll be reaching or running, then head outside and have fun.

[nickhughes]

Couple of key things to consider if going offshore

1) Plan your coastal exits and entrances carefully before you leave you do not want to be stuck at the chart table in a swell any more than necessary.
2) Seasickness can be very debilitating and can be a major problem for the inexperienced. Know what medication works for you before you go and take it early (by the time you feel sick its too late).
3) 30-35 miles sounds like a 5 - 7 hour trip but could easily be much more depending on currents, wind direction and seas. Do you have enough time to reach your destination before dark? Could you navigate the entrance at night?
4) Reef early when going to sea, especially if you are not feeling confident. You can always shake it out later.
5) Can be pretty unpleasant below even in a moderate swell, you may not want to be preparing hot food so ensure you have enough easy to reach snacks to keep your energy levels up.
6) Take lots of warm clothes!
7) Do thorough checks of engine and electrical equipment before you leave

Enjoy the trip!

[Minnewaska]

Great to hear that you are getting into sailing. Caution will serve you well. Set personal maximums and add a couple of knots or a couple of feet as time passes. You will gain skill and confidence. The advice on reefing early is right on. Much easier to shake out a reef if conditions are more manageable than you imagine, than to try to put in a reef in deteriorating conditions.

How did you and your wife get started last year? Trial and error, a quick lesson or did you take a full course. Taking a full course would typically increase your skill and your confidence level should soar. Full time, they will take a minimum of a week, part time can extend to an entire season, but you will understand and become comfortable with everything from basic sailing, to heavy weather sailing, man overboard, navigation, etc. Highly recommended that you do it together, if you haven't already. US Sailing has affiliations all over the country.

FIND A SCHOOL

[FSMike]

pbrasfield -
Good morning.

Make sure to calculate your distance from point of departure to point of arrival rather than sea buoy to sea buoy. For instance, downtown Jax to anchored behind Cumberland Island is a lot different than St. Johns River sea buoy to St. Marys River sea buoy (especially if you are fighting the tide in the inlets).

This time of year the Florida weather pattern includes afternoon/evening thunderstorms - no big deal as long as you know how to reef your sails. You may not see any, and if you do they can often be avoided.

Remember - It's not the ocean that's the enemy, it's the hard stuff around the edges.

Have a great time.

[CBinRI]

Sounds like very close to prefect conditions. I will echo that an early reef will reduce stress. It is much easier to shake out a reef than put one in if the wind picks up. Also, I'm not sure where you will be sailing, but it is not unusual to get a bit more wind than forecasted. If you have the opportunity to bring a more experienced sailor along, that is a good idea. If not, I would err on the side of less sail (a reef and maybe a smaller jib).

[RichH]

Some simple rules for sailing near the gulfstream:

Wind (F3 or above) againt current can lead to VERY high seas.

Check with NOAA, etc. forecasts before leaving port to ensure that there are only moderate swells running from the N-NE.

If going north and there are large swells from the NE, consider to delay.

If you go out an inlet and there is what looks like 'elephants marching on the horizon', consider to delay

If the seas become large and extremely uncomfortable, consider to do a
'180' rather than 'push on' at all costs.

If the gulfstream is in very close to shore and the NOAA forecasts are: "winds@13-17 kts from the N-NE with dangerous breaking seas", etc. ..... believe them.

Especially with swells running onshore from the NE-SE, time your run through the narrow inlets (less than Class A) so that the tidal flow is WITH the wind direction. Better sometimes to heave-to or slow down 'outside' so that you get the timing correct. On the smaller inlets with FAST flow you usually dont want to be going 'in' with the wind and swells at your back and the water rushing out at full ebbing velocity. Your 'timing' through the smaller inlets can make all the difference, sometimes waiting for an hour or so before you make your pass. The max. flow in many of these inlets is sometimes NOT at midtide .... get the proper 'current flow' data or any PC tide program WITH current flow predictions.

[pbrasfield]

thanks for all of the replys and advice. where can I go to find out the specifics about the weather including the size of the swell size and the timing of each swell? tried to look up NOAA but had no luck. If we go up the ICW from St. mary's, GA to St. Simons there are several shallow spots. any advice on that route. SOmeone told us it is 47 miles up the ICW and 22 miles on the outside.