Tuesday Day 3
Scot Free III
Frank & Anne
Tue 7 Feb 2017 07:43
After much thought, extensive planning and multiple ( expensive) weather downloads, we have decide on a crossing strategy "head south till the butter melts then turn right". It probably makes about as much sense as trying to second guess the weather. The more Northerly route is slightly shorter and has slightly better weather. The Southerly route past Cape Verde is a hundred miles or so longer but windier and probably faster. It's the sea state which is difficult to know. The weather models are still very experimental in wave prediction and each forecast changes. The constant storms way up north generate a swell all the way down here and the extent of it is difficult to know. So we will follow Jimmy Cornell's advice on weather and "don't get too hung up on it, unless it's obviously dangerous, just go". Going past Cape Verde also allows us to take advantage of the Canarian and Equatorial currents which could add 0.5 to1 kn to our speed, knocking three or four days off the trip.