# Sailing from SC to Florida



## [email protected] (Oct 14, 2011)

We plan to leave Chrlestone towards Florida tomorrow. How Close to shore should we go in order to avoid the Gulf Stream? Wr heard there a current than can push us down. Any idea how far off shore we can meet it?


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## MarioG (Sep 6, 2009)

We sail abou 3 miles off shore so the 1st mate can see land, makes her feel safe. just watch your charts and watch for any shoaling. There are alot of inlets on the way down you can duck into and drop anchor but we also droped anchor off shore when we were in less then 30' of water. Good luck and watch the weather


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## night0wl (Mar 20, 2006)

NOAA weather radio reports the approximate position of the Gulfstream in my neck of the woods. Also, do you have a depth transducer with a temperature setting? My Raymarine ST60 has this...and you can tell when you've entered the Gulfstream. The temp rises 2 degrees 

(EDIT) I just realized that they only do this report till the waters south of St. Augustine.


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## night0wl (Mar 20, 2006)

For example: National Weather Service Marine Forecast

THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE WEST WALL OF THE GULF STREAM AS OF
NOV 28, 2011 AT 1200 UTC...

7 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF FOWEY ROCKS.
8 NAUTICAL MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF PORT EVERGLADES.
8 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF LAKE WORTH.
5 NAUTICAL MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF JUPITER INLET.

THIS DATA COURTESY OF THE NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHIC OFFICE.


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## sailrmon (May 17, 2006)

What is your destination in Florida? while on our 1 year sabatical out of the Great Lakes in 2008 my wife and i chose to take the outside route from Charleston to Fernandina Beach, Fla. avoiding a lot of East West motoring, shallow water and 9 foot tides in Georgia. i just laid out a rumbline from the outer breakwater of Charleston Harbor to St. Mary's inlet but because a front was approaching opted to go in at St. Simons and got a slip at New Brunswick Marina. this track was about 120nm and took us about 20nm offshore but much less to worry about than being just 3 miles offshore and the stars were incredible. we left Charleston city marina Dec. 7th at 12pm and arrived at the dock in New Brunswick Dec. 8th at 2pm. sailed all but 3 hours of the trip and Dolphins every where.

The inner limit of the gulf stream in this section of the coast runs about 50nm offshore and if you look at the Pilot charts it creates a sort of eddy in the coast line with about a 1/2kt current flowing south. 

Whatever way you chose enjoy your trip, it will go fast.


S/V Wendy Michelle

On the hard in Sandusky,Ohio


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## TropicCat (Oct 14, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> We plan to leave Chrlestone towards Florida tomorrow. How Close to shore should we go in order to avoid the Gulf Stream? Wr heard there a current than can push us down. Any idea how far off shore we can meet it?


Ummm, excuse me...but.. You're planning a major passage along the east coast and haven't researched where the west wall of the Gulf Stream is? Or where counter currents can be found??


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

TropicCat said:


> Ummm, excuse me...but.. You're planning a major passage along the east coast and haven't researched where the west wall of the Gulf Stream is? Or where counter currents can be found??


That irkes me also. Why would you rely on opinions and hearsay from people on the internet? You have to be self-sufficient, man.
Marc


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> We plan to leave Chrlestone towards Florida tomorrow. How Close to shore should we go in order to avoid the Gulf Stream? Wr heard there a current than can push us down. Any idea how far off shore we can meet it?


You might want to look at PassageWeather.com--Gulf Stream:


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## Davebernard52 (Dec 8, 2011)

How about a little humility? Give the guy credit for actually going somewhere. Most boats just sit in their slips all year long. Besides, the stream is not a factor to sailors from other locations. 
I am reminded of an old saying, "no stupid questions, just stupid answers".
He asked a legitimate question.


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

Davebernard52 said:


> How about a little humility? Give the guy credit for actually going somewhere. Most boats just sit in their slips all year long. Besides, the stream is not a factor to sailors from other locations.
> I am reminded of an old saying, "no stupid questions, just stupid answers".
> He asked a legitimate question.


David--

The OP asked a legitimate question and several of us gave non-judgemental answers. Unfortunately, like it or not, the question reveals quite a lack of knowledge/understanding/experience that makes it questionable whether the OP is reasonably capable of making such a voyage in safety. While questioning that might not be "nice", or particularly "PC", sometimes harsh realities do bite us in the "Ass..ume".

Unfortunately, we--society in general--have arrived at a point at which we are so concerned with being "kind" we fail to slap people in the face with the cold, hard, facts that may be necessary to snap them back to realistic assessments of their own circumstances and let them know what they don't know they don't know (their "unknown unknowns" to coin a phrase).

Not too many years ago a study was published on "ridicule" and children. One material finding was that in the 1940's, 50's and 60's it was the ridicule of childrens' peers that led the vast majority of substantially over-weight children to loose weight (to their own benefit). Since the 60's, however, the "need" of "being nice" (i.e. kind) has contributed to an explosion of adolescent obesity as there is no/little stigma with being morbidly over-weight. Similarly the practice of making "everyone a winner". Everyone's not a winner. Everyone's average or, in fact, less so as the real "winner's pull up the overall average. If you want a winner you have to make him or her work hard and take their knocks and keep going anyway.

The OP might make the trip he/she proposes safely, or might not. The effort will certainly be a learning experience, particularly if the winds shift to north-easterlies and drive the Stream closer to shore. In any case, in all likelihood he/she will survive quite nicely and end up more knowledgeable for the experience, but there is nothing wrong with calling it like one sees it. Perhaps "not Nice" but, frankly, Life "ain't" always nice, is it?

FWIW...


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## Davebernard52 (Dec 8, 2011)

This is my first day on Sailnet and I am pretty disappointed by what I have seen in this thread. I wonder if everyone who asks a question gets a good reeming from the "pro's". 

Yes a few people answered his question with solid information and seemed happy to help out a fellow sailor. But a few of you used the opportunity to flex your ego and spray the site with testosterone. 

I am not worried about your being PC or kind. "PC" has nothing to do with this and your diatribe about being PC is a silly distraction from the point. I think you were arrogant and not the least bit helpful. If you really wanted to be helpful, instead of sending me three paragraphs justifying yourself, why not be a positive factor and send him a three paragraph explanation of the Gulfstream and how to deal with it. Or are you so busy sailing that you haven't the time to donate?

I am quite sure he "made it" already. Wouldn't it have been nice if you had made it easier for him. Life may not be easy but I sure as hell would rather help out than smugly sit back and smirk at someone with less experience.

By the way, I've been sailing for 43 years and there is a lot i don't know and still have to learn. I have lots of questions and the further I travel from home the more questions I have. I have found that there are two types of "locals". By far the majority are eager to share their local knowledge, especially if they have traveled themselves. And then there is the second group, a small minority, who never go anywhere and make fun of the transient who needs help or info. Which group are you in?


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## sailrmon (May 17, 2006)

Personally i could not agree with DaveBernard52 more. while on our trip in 2008 i used this site along with several other sources, cruising guides and talking to the locals to make what i felt was an informed decission. who is to say this was the only source he used (doubt he will use it again) and by asking questions from people who have been out there i feel he is doing his research! 

I have been a member since 2006 and i think this is my thirteenth post. easy to see why some members may have over a thousand. no real information, just a lot of bantoring. 

S/V Wendy Michelle


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

Davebernard52 said:


> ...I am not worried about your being PC or kind. "PC" has nothing to do with this and your diatribe about being PC is a silly distraction from the point. I think you were arrogant and not the least bit helpful. If you really wanted to be helpful, instead of sending me three paragraphs justifying yourself, why not be a positive factor and send him a three paragraph explanation of the Gulfstream and how to deal with it. ...


David,

Based upon the context of your comments, I assume you are responding to me. (When responding to someone on this forum and most, it is wise to use the "quote" function in the reply so that others know to whom one's response is directed.)

N'any case, FYI, if you will refer to Post #8 on the first page of this thread, you will see that I did in fact provide a reasonably valuable resource to the Original Poster (AKA "OP"). I do not disagree that providing someone with "Local Knowledge" is worthwhile, but when someone's inquiry reveals rather stunning naivety within the context of what they are proposing en gross, it may not be a disservice to mention that--not "kind" perhaps, but not a disservice. (Moreover, where the west wall of the Stream is located at any give time "ain't" local knowledge.)

I regret that you are disturbed by rank candor. Some folks tend to be less "diplomatic" than others, particularly on sailing forums. I don't always agree with the approach but, LION, it goes with the territory. If your sensibilities are offended, this may not be a good venue for you although, in general, there is very valuable knowledge to be gleaned by simply following a discussion if not participating.

Hopefully the OP has made/or is making his/her passage in safety if not comfort and all goes well.

FWIW...


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## emoney (Jun 2, 2010)

I'm slowly coming to the realization, that I too, can be too "short" in instances such as these.
So, I heretofore have decided to follow a new "track", if you will. I will only respond with
the exact same feeling/meaning/intent, as I would if I was face-to-face with person presenting
the question/etc. And, I'm going to assume he's quite a bit larger than me and heavily
armed. That should serve as a reminder to choose words wisely.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Dave,

The first thing that caught my attention about the OP was that he/she was making a major move _the next day_ without knowing the basics of where to even locate the information.

Knowing the weather along the coast, as I'm sure you'll agree with your experience, is important. For those with experience, that resource would have been in their arsenal long before then and they would know to start monitoring forecasts and keeping an eye on the stream more than a day before departure.

I'm sorry that your first experience with this forum was negative. Sometimes the delivery is harsher than it needs to be so in that respect, you are right. There are different personalities in this forum just as you'll find different personalities sitting around the local sailor's bar. Not all of them are polished in their delivery and more than a few of us may let our frustration with the nutty and potentially unsafe things we see on the water seep through. I'm not part of the typical sailing demographic so I'm used to responses that range from amusement to snide to simply being ignored. I cull the information I need and move on. For that reason I should know better and try harder to have more patience.

There are a lot of knowledgeable people here trying to make it a little safer for those with less experience who think they cannot be harmed or cannot harm others in their sailboat.


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## Davebernard52 (Dec 8, 2011)

Hi,
I am pleased to see that most people agree that questions can be answered without sarcasm and an attitude. Nobody knows everything and usually those with the most experience realize just how little they actually do know.

With that said I have a question. I will be leaving Charleston in the next few days. Being singlehanded I am conservative about jumping out of the ICW. If I remain 3-4 miles offshore, respecting the shoals that exist further out in places, will I be far enough from the Gulfstream to ignore it? Having read about this and studied the data from NOAA I would assume so. BUT, I would like to hear from folks with experience in this area.
Thank you.
Dave


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## Davebernard52 (Dec 8, 2011)

By the way, the Passage weather.com site is new to me and it is great. The graphics are clear and easy to understand.. One glance and I have answered my own question. But the new site was worth the trouble.
Thank you


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## Bamazeb (Sep 13, 2011)

Dave...Well Put !!


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## bjkrad (Nov 7, 2006)

_"By the way, the Passage weather.com site is new to me and it is great. The graphics are clear and easy to understand.. One glance and I have answered my own question. But the new site was worth the trouble."_

Have to agree. I have 5 or 6 free gulf stream websites bookmarked, but this is a nice reference I didn't have. Thanks!


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## norsearayder (Dec 19, 2006)

dave this is the internet,sometimes i think some sailors on here oh never mind i am n charleston rite,now and plan to jump to datona monday and tues on the outside. i left beaufort thursday and rounded cape fear on a stiff nor easterly,wind pushing 15-25 i took a wide birth around frying pan shoals and ran into the gulf stream head on.with just a tripple reefed main saw speeds steady at 8.5, my gps saw 10.5 dont worry about a little.67 knot current grab this wind and hook a ride! a dirty boat bottom will cost you more in speed! just got up the river 11am this am, i got a sleep[ i was becalmed friday pm for 5 hours thats why you can never plan so just be prepaird for mother nathure;ps the dolfins were thick out off the coast


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

davebenard52

Norsearayder

I hope both of you have a great jump outside. I look forward to reading more of your travels I hope you have plenty of film and keep a log. I'm stuck on the hard this winter in frozen yankeeland. I hope to "rejoin the cruising herd" in the spring.
It's travels such as yours and the adventure of it all that gets me through till sailing time again.
Hope you get to met and enjoy all the places up and down the E. coast as I have.
The first time is great and the return trips are even better. 
Enjoy. 
looking forward to hearing more.


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

This thread became quite entertaining...as far as political correctness goes...some of the most knowledgeable sailors I have ever sailed with were the crankiest sons of bitc**s I have ever met. I very quickly learned to just listen to them.


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