I believe that experienced coastal cruisers know how to recognize and exploit weather windows for cruising. However, I expect decisions differ depending on numerous variables. For example, as single handing, double handing, or full crew for overnight watches, etc.
I’m curious. What is the widest forecast interval in your zone that you trust for departure to make destination within a “weather window?” How much of your decision factors on point of sail, predicted sea state, wind velocity, or “emergency” refuge harbors or anchorages along your route? How long do you (and your crew) wait (i.e., standby) for a weather window b/f totally giving up on a planned cruise? Do you even really care much about windows? That is, you go when you “need” to go, and just “beef up”as necessary to make your destination when you wish to be there, etc.
For example, coming to Port San Luis this summer from Long Beach, I and my one-other-person crew waited two weeks to make a normally (i.e., nearly always) upwind passage (frequent SCA’s against in summer) of 185 n.mi. in virtually windless conditions w/low seas nearly all of the way; stopping each of two nights for the three days of transit. Of course, we were therefore motoring nearly all of the way. The window interval forecast we trusted was 5 days. That is, we trusted 5 days of window forecast to make three days of transit plus one day of “staging.” However, good conditions extended beyond the 5 days.
I’m curious. What is the widest forecast interval in your zone that you trust for departure to make destination within a “weather window?” How much of your decision factors on point of sail, predicted sea state, wind velocity, or “emergency” refuge harbors or anchorages along your route? How long do you (and your crew) wait (i.e., standby) for a weather window b/f totally giving up on a planned cruise? Do you even really care much about windows? That is, you go when you “need” to go, and just “beef up”as necessary to make your destination when you wish to be there, etc.
For example, coming to Port San Luis this summer from Long Beach, I and my one-other-person crew waited two weeks to make a normally (i.e., nearly always) upwind passage (frequent SCA’s against in summer) of 185 n.mi. in virtually windless conditions w/low seas nearly all of the way; stopping each of two nights for the three days of transit. Of course, we were therefore motoring nearly all of the way. The window interval forecast we trusted was 5 days. That is, we trusted 5 days of window forecast to make three days of transit plus one day of “staging.” However, good conditions extended beyond the 5 days.
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