Hi StarScream!
In your “dry-run” were you able to view/track the weather and sea state conditions along the proposed route matched to the anticipated rate of travel?
Static conditions at only a single point in time may change over the anticipated travel time.
Wondering if you might have been able to “see” what a “good” window at the start of the proposed trip may have evolved to over 10 to 15 hours travel time and location change.
Personally I’ve started out with what looked like a great weather forecast projection only to find it changed with time and distance both as a ‘skipper’ and as a ‘Pilot’. In the past using the meteorological reports I’ve done an exercise where I’ve tried to look at forecasts for a trip and route. Then based on the forecast that would have been available theoretically pulled the trigger on the proposed trip and incrementally walked the scenario forward based upon the vessel capabilities and route to “see” what might have been occurring as the trip progressed. Sort of like a game to see if I’d understood enough about what a forecast could/couldn’t tell me (like real life) and what the subsequent realities were. It helped me understand how dynamic systems work and the limitations of forecasting. It helped to understand how to look for weather, wind, tides and currents data available preceding can help improve the odds of a trip meeting expectations… both good and bad at various points.
Arriving at a narrow harbor entrance in a small vessel when the tide is running ‘in’ is very different than when it is running ‘out’.
I’ve deliberately gone to a nice restaurant overlooking where the Great Basin drains/fills at Portsmouth NH and spent a “loonnngggg” lunch just to see the realities of what one might experience. It was eye opening when one sees an ocean going tug with an experienced crew and thousands of horse power struggle against and with the tide. Similarly, during the summer season, I’ve seen ‘hoity-toity’ power boats of similar length/displacement to our Mac but with much more power unable to make headway against the tidal current drifting backwards or getting caught in the whorls and eddies that exist. Impressive, humorous and edifying.
The open ocean can be a very different place…as NiceAft pointed out. Even in our own small forays out into the Atlantic to the last Bouy of the Beaufort River ICW route can have a significant change in conditions depending on the previous days/weeks weather, wind, tides and currents. As has been said “Timing is Everything”.
The interaction of sea swell periodic interaction with wave periodic rate and direction (which are often not in the same direction) can make for an interesting experience and can result in multi directional surfing which can range from annoying to downright hazardous within the space of moments…. When one is caught on the front of a wave slope and being pushed into a swell it’s not a pleasant experience (one also wonders if the forward hatch was secured tightly enough) when water crashes down on the foredeck as the bow plunges into the water….it also pretty much stops one’s forward momentum …. and that’s what can happen on nice sunny sorta calm days. Corkscrewing around like in a unbalanced washing machine can be a problem at multiple levels… we’ve had things from under the dinette wander out and up on to the bow berth and back into the aft berth areas etc…
One can also incur fuel/air issues as fuel tank levels drop which is one of the advantages of a fuel filter/separator system between tanks and engine. It act as sort of a ‘buffer’ to help keep the engine supplied with fuel. Having your primer bulb close at hand, preferably not down around one’s ankles, is also beneficial when having to deal with the potentially erratic motion conditions.
From what little I’ve looked into about transitioning from Florida to the Bahamas it seems that there are regular arrangements made by groups of vessels to transit as a group (as sorta mutual support groups) in that there is safety in numbers should something go awry. Remember that VHF radio is really only capable of line-of-sight communications….so calling on the radio for help isn’t all that much of an option if you’re on your own. Same with cell phones unless you have one of those nifty sat-phones. If/when we get into open ocean cruising/crossing we’re looking at a wearable satellite EPIR with track and text capability. They’re not cheap but not prohibitively expensive either and the service subscription isn’t too bad either. Local scuttlebutt down south at the marina has it that there are possibly rental units available for use so one might not have to purchase your own. I believe there is also a trip registry with the US Coast Guard that should be utilized so that if one is overdue someone can start looking……
I figure you’ve already looked into whatever safety/survival kit you’d need for open ocean. Having spent several hours in the water upon occasion (younger years) I can tell you that while 80F water sounds nice it still gets cold as it sucks away your 98.6F body heat. I suppose that’s why having some sort of auxiliary skiff might be part of the various recommended equipment lists for open ocean work.
Keep us posted on your progress and preparations! I too am envious!
Best Regards,
Over Easy
on the ocean, off the coast of Atlantic City. Swells make it much different than lake sailing. I suggest that next summer you make use of your trailer and take your Mac out on the ocean for a day. Mac’s bob like a cork in swells. Make this a part of your preparation.