Hurricane Avoidance at Sea
12 September 2025 · 42 min · 601 views
What this video covers
Tom Tersey, an offshore sailing instructor with decades of ocean experience, explains hurricane avoidance strategy for sailors making Atlantic passages.
Tersey opens with hurricane meteorology: storms develop along the ITCZ off the African coast, track west across the Atlantic, and typically recurve northeast toward the U.S. East Coast.3:05 Wind pressure scales exponentially — 16 knots produces 1 lb per square foot; a Category 5 hurricane produces 64 lbs.4:34 NOAA's cone of probability covers two-thirds of likely storm centers; Tersey adds 100 miles per 12-hour increment to that radius to build a personal cone of avoidance.6:24 Staying on the western (left) side of a northeastbound storm subtracts the storm's forward speed from its circular winds — 80-knot winds plus 20-knot forward speed yields 60 knots on the left versus 100 on the right.8:36
Tersey recounts five real encounters, including Tropical Storm Barry (reversed course 12 hours to create separation), Hurricane Olga (continued south 500 miles offshore to St. Thomas), and a 70-knot unnamed storm that lasted eight hours.11:25 When Tropical Storm Beryl passed 200 miles to port, the crew stopped for four hours to pre-rig a sea anchor, storm trysail, and complete a full storm-prep checklist — the worst conditions experienced were 35 knots.22:16
Planning tools discussed include ocean pilot charts, Jimmy Cornell's routing statistics, and a shoreside weather advisor with offshore experience.10:11 Harbor preparation covers removing sails, lashing the mainsail tightly to the boom, and locking roller-furling drums.37:52
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