Hurricane Avoidance at Sea
12. september 2025 · 42 min · 601 visninger
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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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