Every spring, boats that have been cruising in the Caribbean for the winter face the choice of what next, particularly because they need to get out of the Caribbean during hurricane season. Some will head to Trinidad, some will head to Panama and the Pacific, some will head to U.S. East Coast, and some will head to the Azores and then Europe.
This last option, for full time cruisers, is very attractive since Europe offers such a long menu of cruising choices and a making an Atlantic Circle is a bucket item for many cruisers.
But the eastward transatlantic passage from the Caribbean can be a challenge, albeit a pleasant and interesting one. The big obstacle will be the Azores High which gets parked right over the middle of the North Atlantic during the late spring and early summer, just the time when you want to make this long offshore run.
The wind rotates clockwise around the high, with the easterly trade winds to the south, the westerlies to the north and the northerly Portuguese Trades on the eastern side. In the middle, there is little if any wind.
So, routing decisions and preparations for up to three weeks at sea. – and the likelihood of many days of motoring– all figure into how well you meet the challenge. Sailing Today has an excellent article on the passage here.
