Here we are at the end of September with two full months ahead of us in the designated hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean and already we have had more named storms than we had last year by this time. And, there are four active tropical systems out there, including Sam, which is now a Category four storm. With all of this tropical storm activity, the hundreds of skippers and crews who are preparing for the passage south to the Caribbean and Bahamas will be keeping a very wary weather eye as they start to look for a weather window sometime in early November. At the same time, by early November the cold fronts begin to rush down from the northern latitudes to create North Atlantic gales that can be just as deadly as a tropical storm. For those heading to the Caribbean from the East Coast, finding a four-day weather window can be a challenge and can involve some waiting. You have to be prepared to leave at the drop of a hat yet you have to be prudent and patient, too. The Salty Dawg Caribbean Rally faces this dilemma every fall and this year’s fleet of cruisers promises to be the largest in years. The Dawgs, who try to depart in early November from Hampton, VA and are bound for Antigua or the Bahamas, rely on veteran weather guru Chris Parker to keep everyone in the rally informed about how systems are forming and when weather windows open up. Chris is excellent at this but it still remains up to each skipper to make his or her own final decision on when to depart, whether you are in the rally or sailing on your own. Weather windows open and close, so getting one that stays open long enough to get well across the Gulf Stream is the trick and requires a lot of skill and a ration of luck.
For more on the Salty Dawg Fall Rally click here.
For more on Chris Parker’s Weather Services click here.
For more on NOAA’s National Hurricane Center click here.
