Wednesday, November 2nd

2nd Day at Sea

The Gulf Stream & Cape Hatteras

Our course is set to parallel the shore to Cape Hatteras.  We will then turn SE to cut across the Gulf Stream.  Cape Hatteras is legendary for bad sea conditions and wrecks.  The Gulf Stream narrows and accelerates as it pushes up the the coastline, before breaking free of the coast at Cape Hatteras and punching its way into the North Atlantic.  The Stream carries the warmth of the tropics with it.  Water temperatures in the Bay are in the mid-60's.  The Stream temperature reaches the low 80's.  And, fish abound in the Stream.

Chart

Marine Weather Discussion

THE GFS IS BY FAR THE STRONGEST AND INDICATES A VERY STRONG SURFACE LOW JUST E OF THE OFFSHORE WATERS...AND GENERATES STORM FORCE WINDS IN N TO NE FLOW IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITH NEGATIVE STATIC STABILITY. THE 12Z UKMET AGREES WITH THE 12Z GFS ON THE LOW TRACK...BUT IS MUCH WEAKER. THE 12Z GEM AND ECMWF ARE BOTH WEAKER THAN THE UKMET AND GFS...AND ARE ALSO TO THE SE. THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF SPREAD WITH THE 12Z GEFS MEMBERS...AND THE 12Z GEFS MEAN IS EAST OF THE OPERATIONAL GFS AND WEAKER. WPC MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE FAVORS THE GEFS MEAN SOLUTION...AND AT THIS TIME PREFERRING THE WEAKER SOLUTIONS SINCE THE HIGH UNCERTAINTY LOWERS CONFIDENCE WITH THE GALE AND STORM FORCE WINDS IN THE OFFSHORE WATERS.

Log

Journal

12a-3a. Clearing skies. Heading down the coast toward Cape Hatteras and our gulf stream entrance way point. In a group of rally boats. Motoring with a partial main. Lovely conditions. In bibs, but not foulies. 

8a-11a. Came on deck ~7:30 as we approached our gulf stream entrance waypoint. Water temp rises through high 70’s to 80°. We’re in the stream. Now heading 144° across the stream. Wind on the beam 8-10 kts. Rolled out the genny. 

0920. Wind varying from 5-10 kts apparent. The stream sea is different than near shore. Lots of wavelets. Looks like swells from N and NNE. 

Left the Gulf Stream late afternoon. Scott and Baxter had lures out in the stream, Scott on his rod, Bx on his Cuban yo-yo. 1st strike: fish threw Scott’s lure. Second strike, Scott landed a small mahi-mahi. Just beautiful color. [Small and returned to sea]. Clear night sky. Big dipper sweeps below the horizon here and Orion is higher. Bx and I took pm sun sights. Not reduced.

Photos