Crossing from St Martin to the Azores

[slaneynirit@yahoo.com]

Best route for the end of April? Anybody done it?

[DRFerron]

you have posted the same question in at least three different forums. I know someone responded in one. Perhaps it'll be easier to obtain an answer if you stick with one forum.

[blowinstink]

Originally Posted by slaneynirit@yahoo.com

Best route for the end of April? Anybody done it?

Get a copy of Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes and also of the pilot charts for the North Atlantic. I am pretty sure JC covers that route (not sure about the timing). I think what you are going to find is that if you want favorable winds, you need to get north to get east.

2300 NM . . . light winds. http://yaghanvoyages.blogspot.com/20...-to-horta.html

More on WCR coverage: http://www.noonsite.com/Members/doina/R2008-04-22-4

Let us know what you find out!

[ughmo2000]

St. Maarten to Bermuda (reprovision, water/fuel, et al), to 35 degrees, or just north of the Atlantic High, then drop down to Horta.

[svzephyr44]

The best route varies by the weather and the season. You are early, the best time for crossing is June. You are likely to get banged around quite a bit. (To that point, about 1,000 cruising yachts show up in Faial (Azores) each year. 95% of the show up in the same 6 week period - Late June and July. This should tell you something.

What you want to do is use the services of South Bound II - Herb has been routing yachts across the Atlantic (for free) for more years than anyone can count. Go to his web site at South Bound II VAX498 - Ship routing and weather forecasting This June/July I was one of about 25 boats he was routing - the track I took - Florida to Bermuda to Faial to Portugal - would not show up in any book or pilot chart. We had unexpected gales and briefly a hurricane. Herb managed to help me avoid them all.

[Ferretchaser]

Bit early in the year for that trip IMHO just make sure you have double sided sticky tape under all your cups and plates if you are planning on staying in that time frame. Take plenty of diesel with you for the second part from Bermuda north west as you never know how long you are going to be stuck without any wind at all on that route. But April is deffo a bit hit and miss.

[Ferretchaser]

Just want to add, when you get to the Azores and don't want to raft up and clkimb over other boats all day. Just do your bit of painting in Horta and then sail on to Angra Do Heroismo on Terceira ...same price but way better to spend a bit of time there and the guys from the marina are a very friendly bunch.

[cherev]

"PC ... holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

What an accurate and exceedingly funny aphorism.