Inside Or Outside

The Indian River
No LL

We much prefer sailing on the outside (i.e. offshore). That's especially true when heading north. The Gulf Stream gives us an extra kick.

Alas the winds are not favorable; not today and not for the next week according to the forecasts. Still, we have the itch to be on the move so we'll work our way up the ICW until conditions are right.

Too bad for us, that will spoil the big kick from the Gulf Stream. As you can see in the picture, the Gulf Stream hugs the coast from about Stuart south. If we go offshore at Fernandina, we have to head so far out to sea to catch the Gulf Stream that we loose much of the advantage.

It takes three days to sail from Palm Beach to Beaufort NC with good wind. It takes three days to sail from Ferandina Beach (300 miles further north) to Beaufort with good wind.

Yet once we have the itch to travel, it's just too too hard to sit and wait for perfect weather. So we've never yet had the perfect Gulf Stream boosted passage.

Stuart is about 27 degrees north, and Fernandina is about 30 degrees north.