Sailing Around Cape Hatteras
Ocean sailing is not something to be taken lightly. Of course, safety is always the most important thing. Followed closely by comfort.
As I planned my trip offshore, up the Atlantic Coast, I knew that rounding Cape Hatteras was a serious issue. After all, they don't call Cape Hatteras the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic' for nothing. The issue is that there are shoal waters extending 10 - 15 miles offshore. Additionally, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream flow northward and meet right at the Cape with the southward flow of the cold waters from the Labrador Current. Enough info to know that if you sail around Hatteras in the wrong conditions or at the wrong time you might be both unsafe and certainly uncomfortable...
Here's a map that shows the Cape, the Islands of the Outer Banks, the Diamond Shoals, and the many shipwrecks that lie at the bottom of the Ocean.
As I got close to this leg of the trip I spoke to some of the local mariners who told me stories and gave me advice on when to go, when not to go, how to navigate safely, and what to expect. So, while I was a little bit nervous, I was also excited and confident in my preparations. To get around Hatteras you have to plan a sail of a minimum of 2 days and 2 nights. There is not a navigable inlet to get back in safely from the Ocean. I asked one of the locals about Ocracoke, or Oregon Inlet if I needed to get back in, and one of the locals said, 'Don't even try it'...
and another...
The timing of this sail was a bit of an issue. Since we had to continue until we got to the Chesapeake Bay we had to back in to a departure time of the middle of the day. This meant that we actually rounded the Cape in the middle of the night midnite to around 2 am... And, of course, we were met by a middle of the night rain shower which made things a bit eerie. As I sailed around (safely and comfortably) I thought of the many sailors and their wrecks that lie at the bottom of the ocean in this awesome place... I have charts, GPS, electronics, weather forecasts, wind forecasts, VHF radio, etc. Many of the earliest mariners who plied these waters had none of these technology conveniences and may have had no idea how treacherous the Cape could be.
After rounding the cape the wind began to ease and the second day of this leg of the trip dawned with a beautiful sunrise. There was still a long way to go to the mouth of the Chesapeake and I passed the time by fishing, listening to music and a Cubs game. The good news is the Cubs won that day and I caught a fish (2 actually)...
Haven't been able to identify it yet, but it looks like Dory from the Disney movies...
We were treated to the best sunset of the trip so far as the trip continued. See this sunset over the Outer Banks... We were a few miles offshore at this point off of Kitty Hawk NC.
We arrived early and had to slow down a bit to wait for daylight before entering the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake is one of the busiest commercial ports and we met up with at least a dozen large commercial vessels coming and going. And, right as we were passing through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, just a dozen or so miles to the marina we were treated to this site...
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and her crew were dispatched as our welcoming committee...
So, as of this post, I have completed several legs of the early part of my planned trip. I've sailed close to 900 miles already and loved every mile of the trip.
It's time for another crew change. Rich Z will head back to Chicago tomorrow. I'll visit with mom tomorrow and then Carolyn and Phil will join me for the next part of the trip from Chesapeake Bay to New York City.
Cheers!
As I planned my trip offshore, up the Atlantic Coast, I knew that rounding Cape Hatteras was a serious issue. After all, they don't call Cape Hatteras the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic' for nothing. The issue is that there are shoal waters extending 10 - 15 miles offshore. Additionally, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream flow northward and meet right at the Cape with the southward flow of the cold waters from the Labrador Current. Enough info to know that if you sail around Hatteras in the wrong conditions or at the wrong time you might be both unsafe and certainly uncomfortable...
Here's a map that shows the Cape, the Islands of the Outer Banks, the Diamond Shoals, and the many shipwrecks that lie at the bottom of the Ocean.
As I got close to this leg of the trip I spoke to some of the local mariners who told me stories and gave me advice on when to go, when not to go, how to navigate safely, and what to expect. So, while I was a little bit nervous, I was also excited and confident in my preparations. To get around Hatteras you have to plan a sail of a minimum of 2 days and 2 nights. There is not a navigable inlet to get back in safely from the Ocean. I asked one of the locals about Ocracoke, or Oregon Inlet if I needed to get back in, and one of the locals said, 'Don't even try it'...
Well - good preparation leads to good results. We had favorable winds from the Southwest as we decided to head out. The winds were strong (15 - 20 knots) and were supposed to build a bit overnight, but I knew we could handle it. The waves were running in the 3 to 5 foot range and were coming from behind the boat. This makes it a bit tough to steer but it is manageable. It also makes it tough to boil water for hot coffee when you get up for the midnite watch but we managed that as well.
Here is a video that gives you the flavor of the sailing offshore around the Cape...
and another...
The timing of this sail was a bit of an issue. Since we had to continue until we got to the Chesapeake Bay we had to back in to a departure time of the middle of the day. This meant that we actually rounded the Cape in the middle of the night midnite to around 2 am... And, of course, we were met by a middle of the night rain shower which made things a bit eerie. As I sailed around (safely and comfortably) I thought of the many sailors and their wrecks that lie at the bottom of the ocean in this awesome place... I have charts, GPS, electronics, weather forecasts, wind forecasts, VHF radio, etc. Many of the earliest mariners who plied these waters had none of these technology conveniences and may have had no idea how treacherous the Cape could be.
After rounding the cape the wind began to ease and the second day of this leg of the trip dawned with a beautiful sunrise. There was still a long way to go to the mouth of the Chesapeake and I passed the time by fishing, listening to music and a Cubs game. The good news is the Cubs won that day and I caught a fish (2 actually)...
Haven't been able to identify it yet, but it looks like Dory from the Disney movies...
We were treated to the best sunset of the trip so far as the trip continued. See this sunset over the Outer Banks... We were a few miles offshore at this point off of Kitty Hawk NC.
We arrived early and had to slow down a bit to wait for daylight before entering the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake is one of the busiest commercial ports and we met up with at least a dozen large commercial vessels coming and going. And, right as we were passing through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, just a dozen or so miles to the marina we were treated to this site...
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and her crew were dispatched as our welcoming committee...
So, as of this post, I have completed several legs of the early part of my planned trip. I've sailed close to 900 miles already and loved every mile of the trip.
It's time for another crew change. Rich Z will head back to Chicago tomorrow. I'll visit with mom tomorrow and then Carolyn and Phil will join me for the next part of the trip from Chesapeake Bay to New York City.
Cheers!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSmooth sailing, Carolyn, Phil, Richsrd!!!! Loved the visit- THANK YOU!!!
ReplyDeleteI love hearing about Cape Hatteras. I'm also amazed you've already done 900 miles and can listen to the Cubs on the water. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteNice base tan. Way to go.
ReplyDeleteAm catching up and love hearing about your voyage. Can’t imagine what it is like to sail, so really enjoy your comments
ReplyDelete