The Trade Winds Passage

THE TRADE WIND ROUTE

 

Cape Verde to the Caribbean is one of the classic trade wind passages of the Atlantic.

 

By late November, the northeast trade winds are typically becoming established across the tropical North Atlantic. Our route takes Libra west through this belt, using the same large scale wind pattern that has carried sailing vessels from Africa toward the Caribbean for centuries.

 

When the pattern settles in, we can experience days of consistent reaching and downwind sailing as Libra works west toward St. Martin.

 

CHOOSING OUR DEPARTURE

 

November 16 is our boarding date, not necessarily our departure date.

 

We'll spend several days in Mindelo preparing Libra, provisioning, reviewing safety procedures and studying the Atlantic weather pattern before committing to the crossing.

 

There is no reason to leave simply because the calendar says it's time.

 

We'll be looking for an established northeast trade wind pattern and a favorable outlook across the Atlantic before departing Cape Verde.

 

Once we're satisfied with the boat, crew and weather, we go.

 

THE NORTHEAST TRADES

 

The northeast trade winds are created by the large scale circulation around the North Atlantic subtropical high.

 

For our westbound passage, these winds typically place the breeze behind us, providing reaching and downwind conditions across much of the crossing.

 

But “trade winds” doesn't mean identical weather every day.

 

Wind strength and direction change. The position of the high moves. Areas of stronger and lighter pressure develop. Squalls pass through.

 

Part of crossing an ocean is learning how to work with those changes rather than expecting the Atlantic to behave according to an average.

 

WEATHER ROUTING ACROSS 2,200 MILES

 

On a coastal passage, we're often thinking about tomorrow.

 

On an Atlantic crossing, we're thinking about next week.

 

We'll download and analyze weather information throughout the passage, monitoring the trade wind belt, areas of stronger and lighter wind, developing systems and the sea state ahead.

 

A course change of only a few degrees can place Libra hundreds of miles farther north or south later in the crossing.

 

The crew will participate in those decisions and see how weather routing actually works when the consequences unfold over days rather than hours.

 

WIND & OCEAN SWELL

 

This is open ocean sailing.

 

The northeast trades can build a long Atlantic swell that remains with us for days. When the wind has been blowing consistently across hundreds of miles of ocean, the sea state can become every bit as important as the wind itself.

 

We'll adjust sail combinations, course and boat speed to keep Libra moving efficiently while managing the motion of the boat and comfort of the crew.

 

You don't learn to live in an ocean swell during an afternoon sailing lesson.

 

You learn it by living in one.

 

TRADE WIND SQUALLS

 

As we sail west, nighttime and early morning squalls can become part of life aboard.

 

A squall may bring a rapid increase in wind, a change in direction and heavy rain before disappearing almost as quickly as it arrived.

 

At night we'll monitor conditions visually, with radar and through changes in the wind around us.

 

Learning to recognize an approaching squall, decide when to reduce sail and prepare the boat before it arrives is valuable offshore experience.

 

Sometimes the right decision is to reef early.

 

Sometimes the squall passes harmlessly alongside us.

 

Learning the difference comes from being out here.

 

WARMER EVERY DAY

 

This is a tropical Atlantic crossing.

 

Air and ocean temperatures remain warm, and as we work west toward the Caribbean the environment becomes increasingly tropical.

 

Gone are the cold nights and heavy offshore gear associated with higher latitude passages.

 

Night watches can mean shorts, stars overhead, warm Atlantic air and Libra sailing west beneath the trade wind sky.

 

APPROACHING THE CARIBBEAN

 

After more than 2,000 nautical miles, the Lesser Antilles finally begin to affect our planning.

 

Our attention shifts from broad ocean weather back toward landfall conditions, local winds, squalls, currents, traffic and the approach to St. Martin.

 

The same trade winds that carried us across the Atlantic interact with the Caribbean islands, producing localized acceleration and wind shadows.

 

After weeks of thinking in hundreds of miles, we're suddenly navigating in miles again.

 

And somewhere ahead is land.