Slipping Across the Gulf Stream
Our marina neighbors, Jim and Gayle, were understandably nervous. They would be crossing the Gulf Stream for the first time. An unseasonable northerly wind had delayed their departure once already. In the morning they would try again, and this time they would be sailing in the company of three other boats.
The first time my partner, Dave, and I crossed the Stream we were young and invincible. We decided at three o'clock one afternoon that it would be fun to go to the Bahamas. At midnight, we weighed anchor and sailed boldly seaward from Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades Inlet.
Since that first impetuous trip we have made many other crossings. Only now we are no longer brash youngsters and we exercise both confidence and caution. We begin our planning far ahead of our expected departure, and we've learned respect for the Gulf Stream from the lessons of experience.
Over the next several months, many sailors will be heading east across the Stream. The summer migration is in full swing as excited crews slip their lines and set out in search of crystal clear water and refreshing breezes. Some of these sailors will be retracing a path they have blazed before. Others, like Jim and Gayle, will be experiencing the thrill of their first encounter with one of nature's great forces -- the Gulf Stream.
About fifty miles of ocean and one massive current are all that separate the east coast of Florida from Bimini and the other western Bahamian cays. Wise sailors know that special attention should be paid to the crossing of that current. Depending on your navigating experience, boat size, boat speed, and the weather, crossing the Gulf Stream can be anything from an exciting sail to a worrisome ordeal. Knowledge and planning will keep your trip pleasant.
Preparations for a crossing should start far ahead of the actual day you plan to go. This is especially true if you travel with a pet. As soon as you know an approximate date of departure, write to the Director of Agriculture, P.O. Box N-3704, Nassau, Bahamas and arrange an import permit for your cat or dog. Pets are welcome but only if they are healthy and vaccinated. If you have questions, telephone (809) 325-7502.
Next, check with U.S. Customs at your planned reentry port for the latest regulations regarding clearing in when you return. In the last few years these regulations have experienced some shifts in procedures. Coming home will be much more pleasant if you know the rules and follow them. We once checked ahead and discovered that we had to change our plans of sailing to the Dry Tortugas from Mexico. We couldn't clear in there, so we weren't allowed to stop. Luckily, we asked questions before we left and saved ourselves some potential problems.
As departure day approaches, start listening closely to weather broadcasts. In particular, the NOAA reports on the characteristics of the Gulf Stream that are broadcast four times weekly on VHF radio. Because the Gulf Stream is important to the shipping and fishing industries, it is tracked and measured on a regular basis. This information makes plotting a course that accounts for the current flow in the Gulf Stream easy. All you need to do is gather the necessary facts: the latest estimated speed of the current, the width of the Stream where you plan to cross, and your estimated boat speed. Then you can lay out a series of vectors to map out the course you must steer.
If you could leave the sea buoy off Lake Worth Inlet and sail directly to West End, Grand Bahama, the rhumb line distance and course would be 56 nautical miles at 99 degrees magnetic. The Gulf Stream, however, rushes northward in the waters between these points. As it funnels warm tropical water between the coast of Florida and the Bahamas over the continental slope, it often reaches a speed of up to four knots. To compensate, you'll need to steer a course that is more southerly than the direct route.
Even if you have all the latest electronics, you should manually plot a course to steer.
We enter a waypoint in our GPS for Palm Beach and one for West End. As we leave the inlet, we set up a CDI (course deviation indicator) display. As the boat is swept north the display will show how far we've fallen off so we can steer to compensate. Our plotted course is always there as a backup to use if we lose our GPS fix or our electronics fail.
We plot a running fix of our positions at regular intervals for the same reason. Knowing your position could become important if you need to resort to more basic navigation or if you need to request or render assistance.
If you are interested in a course in navigation, inquire at your local Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron. If you prefer a self-study approach, check your local library for a copy of Chapman's Piloting, Seamanship, and Small Boat Handling.
When the big day arrives, you might elect to depart from the Lake Worth Inlet. It is the most northerly inlet used by south Florida sailors heading to the Abacos and planning to clear customs at West End. If you are aiming for Bimini or the Berry Islands, however, you will probably want to leave from an inlet farther south, but the same plotting techniques apply.
Since the best wind for the trip is one with a southerly component, leaving Fort Lauderdale or Miami will keep both the wind and current working in your favor. The most important consideration in crossing the Stream is the wind direction. When any wind with a northerly component blows against the flow of the Stream, conditions quickly become untenable and often dangerous. When the forecasts warn of "waves higher in the Gulf Stream", stay in port and wait to go another day.
In choosing your port of departure you may need to consider if an inlet is deep, well marked, and lighted. Often when crossing in the winter months, it is necessary to depart before dawn in order to make a landfall in daylight. You must plan your departure time to insure you don't arrive late in the afternoon or after dark because sunlight is essential for judging depth by the color of the water when crossing onto the Bahama Banks.
On a trip between Great Abaco Island and Fleming Channel in the Exuma Islands we encountered rough seas, and the sun had set before we reached the Banks. Rather than risk losing our boat, we made a difficult decision and hove-to for ten hours in Northeast Providence Channel. In the morning we were glad we had. We found areas next to the main channel littered with flourishing coral heads ...areas that the chart showed were clear. The slightest deviation from the center channel in the dark could have been disastrous.
Once you're underway from any inlet in South Florida, you'll reach the Gulf Stream quickly. The distance between the sea buoy at Lake Worth Inlet and the Stream is often as little as a mile. Even if you don't know where to look, it isn't difficult to know when you've reached the West Wall. The color of the water changes to a magical indigo blue. Seabirds patrol the air, keeping a sharp watch for confused fish feeding in the upwelling of nutrient rich water where the Stream and the ocean meet. Telltale cumulus clouds begin to pile up overhead, feeding on the warm moist air. A thermometer dipped over the side will sometimes show a five- to ten-degree increase over a few boat lengths.
If you're a fisherman, have a lure ready to troll behind. Tuna, dolphin (aka Dorado or Mahi Mahi), mackerel and many others frequent the edges as well as the width of the Stream. As you'll soon realize, fish are not the only residents. We always wait anxiously for a pod of dolphins (the mammals) to appear and frolic at the pressure wave at our bow. If you keep a sharp lookout you may spot a sea turtle basking at the surface. A fleet of man-o'-war jellyfish may drift by, their blue 'sails' locating the center of their far reaching tentacles.
As the waves tumble by, flying fish become airborne and soar in all directions. Occasionally, they will land on your deck and flap noisily as they seek their return to the sea. During one of our crossings, in the middle of a quiet night, a flying fish struck Dave smartly on the back of his neck.
The Gulf Stream has intrigued sailors and writers for centuries. Often the metaphor of a river is used to describe it, but comparing it to a river is misleading. The Gulf Stream, or the Blue God as it is also called, is nothing like the lazy rivers that crisscross the continents. It is wider than the Mississippi, sometimes spanning over forty miles. Millions of gallons of water gush in its flow, dwarfing the rivers we are accustomed to seeing on land.
As you continue across the Stream, your navigation will reflect the strength of the flow at the axis, or center. Reportedly, this speed is highest in summer. Clouds will be heaped high above you as an eerie magic surrounds your boat. No water movement is obvious from the surface, yet you know the Blue God is rushing north, sweeping you along.
These millions of gallons of water are forever moving from the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico to the North Atlantic, then eastward and down the west coast of Europe toward Africa and eventually back to the tropical seas where it will warm again and once more start its trek northward.
Soon, you'll approach the east side of the Stream and the flow will slow. This side never seems as dramatic, maybe because the anticipation of a landfall distracts you from the now familiar Stream and your eyes are focused on the horizon instead of on the water.
Thanks to your careful planning, you've arrived in the Bahamas and made it safely across the infamous Gulf Stream.