Where and when to go on a sea trip to avoid bad weather?

Each region has its own peculiarities of the yachting season, somewhere acceptable weather is established only from May to September, and in some places it does not close at all. We will try to consider the meteorological properties of your chosen season to determine the best region for yachting, or, conversely, to determine the best season, based on the characteristics of a particular region. So that you can decide for yourself - where and when to go on a yacht trip, in order to avoid weather troubles. If you are interested in buying or renting a yacht in your chosen region, you can always use the offers of the company 2yachts - the company's catalog contains current offers from all regions of the world, popular among yachtsmen.

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean has long been considered a mild and safe region for sailing, with breezes blowing from spring to autumn, tempering the heat of the day and bringing pleasant freshness at night after the heat of the day. It is necessary to monitor the low tide in the fall and spring, especially in the eastern and central regions of the Mediterranean. There is usually one major low tide each season, which can bring several days of inclement weather. During the season, there is hot weather with low precipitation, most of the region is influenced by the Azores anticyclone, which brings changes in the weather in the form of a predominance of clear skies and rare precipitation with weak clouds. From April to October, dry fogs and dusty haze are noted, brought here from Africa by the sirocco blowing from the south, and steady northern winds - etesias - are established in the eastern regions.

Note that in the Strait of Messina, between the shores of Calabria and Sicily, mirages called "fata morgana" can occur - this phenomenon is due to the accumulation of several layers of air of different density in the lower layers of the atmosphere, which can form mirror reflections. Reflection and refraction of rays contributes to the formation of distorted images of real objects over the horizon, partially overlapping each other and rapidly changing over time. This phenomenon cannot be called otherwise than miracles!

Atlantic Islands

The Azores in the Atlantic are known for their tides, which can both help the sailor and hurt him greatly. The tides form in the far north with the arrival of summer heat, and as you travel eastward from the US coast, the best time to travel is May or June . When planning to make the transition to the west, it should be borne in mind that in autumn and winter, the tides in the south are created by trade winds (the main factor for building routes on sailing ships between Europe and the New World in past centuries). The islands themselves are characterized by a dry climate with little cloudy weather from June to October, the Azores are known for their volcanic landscapes, vineyards and lush green pastures.

The Canary Islands are part of Macronesia, which also includes the Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde and Selvagens. The Canary Islands have formed a tropical trade wind type of climate with a predominance of hot and dry weather throughout the year. Due to its proximity to Africa, winds of the sherga type blow here - an analogue of the Mediterranean sirocco, bringing heat and sandstorms to the eastern Canary Islands. However, steady trade winds blowing from the northeast fill the air with moisture and thus soften the influence of hot Africa. The climate is also mitigated by the cold Canary Current and the constant anticyclone over the Azores. In addition to currents and winds, the climate is influenced by the mountainous terrain - the northern islands are more humid, and the southern ones are drier.

The Cape Verde Islands are known for their dry climate and northeastern trade winds prevailing from November to June. During trade wind season, winds can range from 15 to 25 knots. During the summer season, when the southwest monsoons prevail, there is a rainy season with appropriate weather. From November to March, the West African trade wind blows from the Sahara towards the Gulf of Guinea - the harmatan, which, in interaction with the monsoons, can cause tornadoes and carry sand from the desert to the shores of North America. At a time when in some West African countries there can be haze from dust storms, obscuring the sun, and navigation can be dangerous for sailors.

Caribbean

Hurricanes rage in the Atlantic from August to December. The most favorable time to rent a yacht and go on a trip to the Caribbean is November and December, when the risk of getting into a storm minimal. Due to the minimum depth of the straits between the Antilles, deep ocean waters do not penetrate into the Caribbean Sea, which affects both the water temperature and the safety of yacht travel. From the southeastern to the northwestern part of the Caribbean Sea flows the Caribbean current of the surface type, the trade wind distributes water flows to the west, off the coast of Central America, the current changes direction to the north and through the Yucatan Strait goes into the Gulf of Mexico. The tides in the Caribbean Sea are mostly semi-daily, with an amplitude of no more than 1 m. The prevailing winds in the Caribbean are northeastern trade winds, but tropical hurricanes often rage in the northern regions - up to 10 hurricanes can pass a year from July to November. their highest frequency is observed in September and October. However, hurricanes in the Caribbean are not as common as in the Gulf of Mexico.

US East and West Coast

Hurricanes are particularly frequent on the east coast of the United States between August and November, and this is dangerous for those crossing from the Caribbean and along the coast, before crossing the ocean towards Europe. In April, winds blow from south to southwest, accompanying yachtsmen heading to Bermuda, then the Azores and finally to Europe. On the west coast of the United States near California, areas of high pressure are formed in summer, as well as strong sea breezes due to the intense heating of the underlying surface. Be aware that the waves in the Pacific Ocean can be very powerful. From June to December, hurricanes are possible near Mexico and southern California.

Australia and New Zealand

Off the northwest coast of Australia, the cyclone season lasts from November to April, turning into increasingly frequent storms. Storms are also possible anywhere on the northern coast of Oz. Off the coast of New Zealand, yachting weather sets in April and November, but even at this time the sea breeze can be very significant.

South China Sea

The South China Sea is dominated by southwest monsoons in summer, bringing frequent rains, closer to winter the wind changes to northeast. In the southern part of the region, especially powerful storm showers and strong winds can form.