zshipley
Member
For info on hurricane probability by geographic area, see this link:
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/#cp100
Also, for maps of storm paths by year: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/one-hundred-years-of-hurricanes/?noredirect=on
As a long-time Palm Beach, FL resident and boat owner, here are my thoughts:
** The peak of hurricane risk in Southeast Florida is September 20 (charts listing September 10 include the Gulf Coast al the way to Texas), I seem to recall, although surprisingly few hit in August and a big one hit in October. The most famous in recent years in Andrew (9/24/1992), but it hit Miami and Palm Beach was not much affected. The worst hurricanes we have had in Palm Beach County in recent years have all been in September (Frances 9/5/2004, Jeanne 9/26/2004, Wilma 10/24/2005). If I could postpone buying a boat from early September to October, I would; then the hurricane risk is the seller's risk. Of course, the seller knows this, so he/she is not likely to yield on sale date; I'd discuss with my broker how to achieve this.
** As a Floridian, I think of summer, not winter, as the Bahamas-cruising season, although many cruisers (mostly sailboaters) spend summer in the Northeast U.S. and winter in Florida or the Bahamas (look at Georgetown, Great Exuma in Bahamas for this). The reason we don't like the Bahamas in the winter is that in winter the wind blows harder and from the northeast more frequently. A 15-knot (or greater) wind from the NE makes crossing the Gulf Stream to or from the Bahamas unpleasant and maybe perilous, depending on the boat and the wind. The water temperature in the Bahamas is in the 70's (degrees F) in winter vs. low 80's in summer. Call me spoiled, but I don't swim in water below 80 degrees, and the attractions of the Bahamas are primarily ones that involve being in the water. Did I say I am a terrible fisherman and so don't do it? For deep-sea fisherman, winter is the season, and worst fishing is August to October. If you like fishing, consider the Chub Cay Club as a Bahamas stop, at southern end of Berry Islands.
** We hurricane-zone boaters know the local hurricane holes and make prior arrangements to dock in one or to be hauled out in the event of a hurricane. The best big-boat yard that is a hurricane hole is probably the Bradford Marine, in Ft. Lauderdale, up the new River (surprisingly far from the sea); don't know their rates or availability. Another choice, the one I use, is The Bluffs marina in Jupiter (or maybe Juno Beach), FL.
**What's the draft of your new boat. The ICW is great for boats drawing 5 feet or less, but more of a challenge for boats drawing more. In theory, the controlling depth is 10 feet everywhere , but in practice, it shoals to as little as 5 or six feet in some places, especially near inlets, and the Corps of Engineers sometimes takes years to dredge a given shoal back to proper depth. Google "ICW depth" and you'll get plenty of websites crowd-sourcing latest info on shoals and other obstacles (missing or misplaced navigational markers, broken drawbridges, locks being repaired, etc.). A trip up the ICW has a lot to offer (many towns and cities along the coast, some historical and some picturesque), and you can dock the boat and fly home from many airports. I plan to do it myself when my next boat (Bruckmann 47 under construction) arrives in fall of 2019.
** I second the idea that you might consider leaving the boat in Florida for a year. The you could do the ICM in the windy, winter season, do the Bahamas in the summer, and ship her westward at the end of August, before their is big hurricane risk.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/#cp100
Also, for maps of storm paths by year: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/one-hundred-years-of-hurricanes/?noredirect=on
As a long-time Palm Beach, FL resident and boat owner, here are my thoughts:
** The peak of hurricane risk in Southeast Florida is September 20 (charts listing September 10 include the Gulf Coast al the way to Texas), I seem to recall, although surprisingly few hit in August and a big one hit in October. The most famous in recent years in Andrew (9/24/1992), but it hit Miami and Palm Beach was not much affected. The worst hurricanes we have had in Palm Beach County in recent years have all been in September (Frances 9/5/2004, Jeanne 9/26/2004, Wilma 10/24/2005). If I could postpone buying a boat from early September to October, I would; then the hurricane risk is the seller's risk. Of course, the seller knows this, so he/she is not likely to yield on sale date; I'd discuss with my broker how to achieve this.
** As a Floridian, I think of summer, not winter, as the Bahamas-cruising season, although many cruisers (mostly sailboaters) spend summer in the Northeast U.S. and winter in Florida or the Bahamas (look at Georgetown, Great Exuma in Bahamas for this). The reason we don't like the Bahamas in the winter is that in winter the wind blows harder and from the northeast more frequently. A 15-knot (or greater) wind from the NE makes crossing the Gulf Stream to or from the Bahamas unpleasant and maybe perilous, depending on the boat and the wind. The water temperature in the Bahamas is in the 70's (degrees F) in winter vs. low 80's in summer. Call me spoiled, but I don't swim in water below 80 degrees, and the attractions of the Bahamas are primarily ones that involve being in the water. Did I say I am a terrible fisherman and so don't do it? For deep-sea fisherman, winter is the season, and worst fishing is August to October. If you like fishing, consider the Chub Cay Club as a Bahamas stop, at southern end of Berry Islands.
** We hurricane-zone boaters know the local hurricane holes and make prior arrangements to dock in one or to be hauled out in the event of a hurricane. The best big-boat yard that is a hurricane hole is probably the Bradford Marine, in Ft. Lauderdale, up the new River (surprisingly far from the sea); don't know their rates or availability. Another choice, the one I use, is The Bluffs marina in Jupiter (or maybe Juno Beach), FL.
**What's the draft of your new boat. The ICW is great for boats drawing 5 feet or less, but more of a challenge for boats drawing more. In theory, the controlling depth is 10 feet everywhere , but in practice, it shoals to as little as 5 or six feet in some places, especially near inlets, and the Corps of Engineers sometimes takes years to dredge a given shoal back to proper depth. Google "ICW depth" and you'll get plenty of websites crowd-sourcing latest info on shoals and other obstacles (missing or misplaced navigational markers, broken drawbridges, locks being repaired, etc.). A trip up the ICW has a lot to offer (many towns and cities along the coast, some historical and some picturesque), and you can dock the boat and fly home from many airports. I plan to do it myself when my next boat (Bruckmann 47 under construction) arrives in fall of 2019.
** I second the idea that you might consider leaving the boat in Florida for a year. The you could do the ICM in the windy, winter season, do the Bahamas in the summer, and ship her westward at the end of August, before their is big hurricane risk.