I know the norther Gulf can get pretty bad in November. South Texas is always rough. Does it get better or worse south of the border that time of year? Does the current always run from the south from Mex. even in winter?
Galveston Bay to Mex.? in November?
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Galveston to Mexico
Tony, Been racking my brain, as it has been almost 5 years since I lived down that way, and did any offshore sailing. Looked at the charts and think I have at least a semi intelligent answer. I would recommend heading SE, out of Galveston till I got to about 26.50 N 92 W or there abouts. This should get you far enough east to miss the south to north currents that come pretty close to the coast down there. Then swing a little more south. Doesn't add very much in mileage, but I don't have to tell you how strong that current can get. Once you get out mid gulf, it does settle down quite a bit, providing the weather is co operating. I would enter Mexico at Isla Mujeras. Good anchorage there, popular with cruisers, and all the immigration hoops you have to jump through are right there on the island. You can get to everything without a cab or bus. If you enter the country in Cancun, or most any other place, you will usually have to run all over hell and half of Georgia, to get cleared in. That time of year, between fronts the weather is usually very good.
Tony, Been racking my brain, as it has been almost 5 years since I lived down that way, and did any offshore sailing. Looked at the charts and think I have at least a semi intelligent answer. I would recommend heading SE, out of Galveston till I got to about 26.50 N 92 W or there abouts. This should get you far enough east to miss the south to north currents that come pretty close to the coast down there. Then swing a little more south. Doesn't add very much in mileage, but I don't have to tell you how strong that current can get. Once you get out mid gulf, it does settle down quite a bit, providing the weather is co operating. I would enter Mexico at Isla Mujeras. Good anchorage there, popular with cruisers, and all the immigration hoops you have to jump through are right there on the island. You can get to everything without a cab or bus. If you enter the country in Cancun, or most any other place, you will usually have to run all over hell and half of Georgia, to get cleared in. That time of year, between fronts the weather is usually very good.
Cruising World Article
just read about someone heading south on west side of Cuba. Don't remember time of year or if it is applicable but they talked about headwinds and currents most of the way. Maybe you can find the article on line. I'll try to remember checking the article when I get home. Hugh
just read about someone heading south on west side of Cuba. Don't remember time of year or if it is applicable but they talked about headwinds and currents most of the way. Maybe you can find the article on line. I'll try to remember checking the article when I get home. Hugh
Yucatan Channel
The Yucatan channel between Cuba and Mexico can get downright snotty at times. There is a strong current running south to north through there, and if the wind is right it can get rough. Coming from the east you have to cross it, and can get beat up. Coming from Texas, you would be on the far west side, and out of most of it. Should be no problem.
The Yucatan channel between Cuba and Mexico can get downright snotty at times. There is a strong current running south to north through there, and if the wind is right it can get rough. Coming from the east you have to cross it, and can get beat up. Coming from Texas, you would be on the far west side, and out of most of it. Should be no problem.
Tampico ???
Anything worthwhile in Tampico area. With Helen, I would like to break the trip into 2 to 3 day jaunts. Kinda like Kemah to Port Aransas. Visit old friends. Then make a hop to Brownsville? area. Then on to Tampico. The retuyrn trip in late winter/early spring will probably be a lot quicker with the southern winds and nortward current? Is that doable and are you familiar with that arwa? Tony B
Anything worthwhile in Tampico area. With Helen, I would like to break the trip into 2 to 3 day jaunts. Kinda like Kemah to Port Aransas. Visit old friends. Then make a hop to Brownsville? area. Then on to Tampico. The retuyrn trip in late winter/early spring will probably be a lot quicker with the southern winds and nortward current? Is that doable and are you familiar with that arwa? Tony B
Heading South
Tony, If you decide to take the coast down, would be a pretty nice trip, but you will get some current against you. There are lots more places to duck into if the weather goes to hell though. I would recommend Port Mansfield over Brownsville/Port Isbell. Theres not as much there, but it's a real neat little fishing village. The county marina is pretty nice, and very reasonably priced.I lived down there for a little over a year, and paid 80 a month for a live aboard slip, with water and elect. A couple of regular marinas, that have diesel and a very few basic parts and pieces. A decent resturant and a convience store pretty well round it out. But you can walk to pretty much the whole town. Brownsville is pretty crowded, expensive, and touristy. But more there should you need some parts or something. There is a little fishing village about 150 miles S.of Brownsville named LaPesca. There is a river entering the gulf there, and it actually has jetties and a light house. Just inside the jetties on the north side is a little place, that I would just call a hole, but it has about 8 or 9 feet of water in it, and makes a hell of a good anchorage. It is about a mile or so from town, but quite a few fishing pangas there. There used to be diesel available about a mile up river at a rickety little dock. I absolutely hate Tampico. But there is a river that comes into the Gulf there and is diesel available. Probably some good anchorages up river, but I have never been up there. Another possible hidy hole is Tuxpan, but again I have never been in there. But most of the bigger towns down there have at least the basic facilities. As much as I hate Tampico, I love Vera Cruz. It is just a wonderful city. Clean and neat. The mountains come down almost to the gulf. Lots of little palapas along the waterfront. Friendly people. But in all these places that are not the tourist stops, English isn't spoken much. If you go south much farther than Tuxpan, before you head across to the Yucatan, be very careful in the Bay of Campheche. There is a lot of shallow water, and they have more oil rigs down there than the coast off Louisiana, and there probably isn't any requirement that they have any kind of lights. Plus there is one of the biggest shrimp fleets in the world down there. I had a cruising guide for that entire part of Mexico, the I think maybe it went with Katrina. Think it was written by a Capt.Rains, but not sure where I got it. Will see if I can jog my feeble memory.
Tony, If you decide to take the coast down, would be a pretty nice trip, but you will get some current against you. There are lots more places to duck into if the weather goes to hell though. I would recommend Port Mansfield over Brownsville/Port Isbell. Theres not as much there, but it's a real neat little fishing village. The county marina is pretty nice, and very reasonably priced.I lived down there for a little over a year, and paid 80 a month for a live aboard slip, with water and elect. A couple of regular marinas, that have diesel and a very few basic parts and pieces. A decent resturant and a convience store pretty well round it out. But you can walk to pretty much the whole town. Brownsville is pretty crowded, expensive, and touristy. But more there should you need some parts or something. There is a little fishing village about 150 miles S.of Brownsville named LaPesca. There is a river entering the gulf there, and it actually has jetties and a light house. Just inside the jetties on the north side is a little place, that I would just call a hole, but it has about 8 or 9 feet of water in it, and makes a hell of a good anchorage. It is about a mile or so from town, but quite a few fishing pangas there. There used to be diesel available about a mile up river at a rickety little dock. I absolutely hate Tampico. But there is a river that comes into the Gulf there and is diesel available. Probably some good anchorages up river, but I have never been up there. Another possible hidy hole is Tuxpan, but again I have never been in there. But most of the bigger towns down there have at least the basic facilities. As much as I hate Tampico, I love Vera Cruz. It is just a wonderful city. Clean and neat. The mountains come down almost to the gulf. Lots of little palapas along the waterfront. Friendly people. But in all these places that are not the tourist stops, English isn't spoken much. If you go south much farther than Tuxpan, before you head across to the Yucatan, be very careful in the Bay of Campheche. There is a lot of shallow water, and they have more oil rigs down there than the coast off Louisiana, and there probably isn't any requirement that they have any kind of lights. Plus there is one of the biggest shrimp fleets in the world down there. I had a cruising guide for that entire part of Mexico, the I think maybe it went with Katrina. Think it was written by a Capt.Rains, but not sure where I got it. Will see if I can jog my feeble memory.
Thanks for the Help
I know its a bad time of year with the current running north and the cold fronts going south on the front days and strongly north on the non-front days. Would be better If I can get enough time off to just head east along the northern Gulf, then south to the Keys then to the Bahamas then to the Turks/Caicos then to Honduras, Belize, Caymans the Yucatan and back to Kemah. That would actually be the most comfortable and fastest route with the wind and Current almost always in my favor. Then all I would have to worry about is the cold fronts in the northern gulf for a few days. November is still a ways off and heck, I may not be able to get off that long. Never know. Tony B
I know its a bad time of year with the current running north and the cold fronts going south on the front days and strongly north on the non-front days. Would be better If I can get enough time off to just head east along the northern Gulf, then south to the Keys then to the Bahamas then to the Turks/Caicos then to Honduras, Belize, Caymans the Yucatan and back to Kemah. That would actually be the most comfortable and fastest route with the wind and Current almost always in my favor. Then all I would have to worry about is the cold fronts in the northern gulf for a few days. November is still a ways off and heck, I may not be able to get off that long. Never know. Tony B
Ross
Thanks Ross. The Gulf Loop Current is a continuation of this running clockwise in the Gulf and exiting just south of Florida. I think if I head south it will be a big mistake. Maybe I will have to cancel my trip for another year.
Thanks Ross. The Gulf Loop Current is a continuation of this running clockwise in the Gulf and exiting just south of Florida. I think if I head south it will be a big mistake. Maybe I will have to cancel my trip for another year.
I think that you would have to find very
detailed current charts to make the passage you are contemplating without sailing upstream a lot of the time. Perhaps staying close to the edges you could find a route that was fairly free of contrary currents. I have no experience sailing outside of the Chesapeake but I have found that web site very interesting.
detailed current charts to make the passage you are contemplating without sailing upstream a lot of the time. Perhaps staying close to the edges you could find a route that was fairly free of contrary currents. I have no experience sailing outside of the Chesapeake but I have found that web site very interesting.
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