We are planning a "Blast to Biscayne Bay" from Marco Island as we wait out the arrival of this current cold front here in Marco Island. If all goes as planned, we will depart Marco Island getting out to the sea bouy by 4-5 pm. Then we will set a full jib on a starboard whisker pole and sail all night down wind in 15-20 knots past Cape Romano and into Channel Five. It will be 16 hours to Channel Five Bridge where we plan to arrive at daybreak sailing under the bridge and into Hawk Channel. Once in Hawk Channel we will turn northeast and be on a beam reach sailing towards Angelfish creek. If all goes well, we should be able to make Angelfish Creek by 4 pm, it is an 8 hour run up Hawk Channel from Channel five to Angelfish Creek. We will then cross over the bar at Angelfish and into Card Sound by sunset. This we are calling "The Blast to Biscayne Bay."
That is our plan as of Wed night, 24 hours before we go. Here is what the winds are forecast to be. Note, that UTC time is 5 hours ahead of East Coast Time, so minus 5 from the UTC time to figure out the time for the winds.
You play weather forecaster and you tell me when you would leave....
If all works as it looks, we should have 15 knots of NW to N winds behind us all night long. Lets hope so because it is the Everglades and no where to pull into to....
Sounds like a plan! Y'all be doing it and so glad for you.
ReplyDeleteWe did an overnight across Florida Bay to Marathon. When we got there other sailors told us we were crazy going across Florida Bay at night. There are crab pots everywhere. We did hit one crab pot buoy and it hit the prop. Most people stop at Little Shark River overnight.
ReplyDeleteGood sailing.
Jeff
Formerly IP380 Xperience
I would leave at anytime now… and go to Loggerhead Key in the Tortugas.
ReplyDeleteAbout 230 degrees and 100 nm.
You keep passing by one of the greatest spots in all of Florida. TAKE THE DETOUR
The winds and weather are perfect for a beautiful trade wind like downhill run there.
Enter on the West side and then turn east and you'll be behind the reef for your approach into the anchorage in calm water.
I bet that front hit you earlier and harder than you thought, hehehehe...we got the White Squall Wake Up Call at 4 am this morning at Cat Island Bahamas...so it must have hit much ealier where you were.
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