The Atlantic Sailor's Handbook

It must be every sailor's dream to leave their home shores behind and cruise the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, but to get there you must first cross the Atlantic. A daunting prospect? Not so, is the opinion of seasoned amateur sailor, Alastair Buchan, whose invaluable, user-friendly handbook is for all would-be Atlantic passage-makers. Provided both boat and crew are well prepared, the voyage is perfectly possible for any amateur sailor with reasonable passage-making experience.

There are chapters on passage planning, weather patterns, watch systems, safety afloat and in harbour, Caribbean living and sailing, Customs clearance, and key ports, plus an invaluable section on pilotage, both to and from the Caribbean, and first-hand advice about routes between the island groups, all well illustrated with maps and enticing colour photographs.
The Atlantic Sailor's Handbook is essential reading for anyone keen to try their hand at a bluewater cruising adventure.

Contents

introduction

part one
planning and preparation

chapter 1 When should I go?
chapter 2 What will it cost?
chapter 3 Finding the right boat • Liveability • The ideal boat
chapter 4 Preparing your boat for ocean cruising • Refit above deck • Refit below deck • Spares list
chapter 5 Power supplies • Batteries • Charging batteries • Battery management systems • Living with a power blackout • Electrical modifications

part two
life aboard

chapter 6 The skipper and crew • The skipper's responsibilities • The crew • Watchkeeping • The aim of a watchkeeping system • Single-handed watchkeeping • Two-man watch systems • Three-man watch systems • Four-man watch systems • Rolling watch systems • Is your system suitable?

chapter 7 Communications • Radio • Earthing and antennas for HF • Marine versus ham radio • Cellphones • Landlines • Mail • Faxes • Boat cards • Email ashore • Email afloat

chapter 8 Safety on board • Man overboard • Anchor points for harnesses • Climbing the mast • Abandoning ship • The crash box
• Emergency rations • Attracting attention • Going alongside at sea • If help does not come • Lifeboat versus liferaft

chapter 9 Caribbean living • Victualling • Food and water • Stowage • Waste disposal • Dinghies • Towing the dinghy • Caribbean refit

chapter 10 Staying healthy • Immunisations • Reciprocal health agreements • Sources of advice on health • Health risks on board • Sea sickness • Shoreside health risks • First aid • Sailing green

part three
weather watching and Caribbean sailing

chapter 11 Atlantic weather • Handling heavy weather • Thunderstorms • Electrical storms • Land and sea breezes • Sources of weather forecasts • Winds • Tropical revolving storms • Late season hurricanes • The power of hurricanes • Avoiding tropical revolving storms

chapter 12 Caribbean sailing • Chart datums and accuracy • Reef navigation

chapter 13 Anchoring • Choice of anchor and rode • Entering an anchorage

chapter 14 Reaching port • Ports of entry • The paperwork • Clearing in and out

chapter 15 Security • Piracy • Theft • Weaponry part four the routes

chapter 16 Passage planning • Passage plan timetable • Routeing • Weather and currents • Timings • Communications • Formalities

chapter 17 Planning your route • Key ports • The passages • Weather • Passage times • Ocean navigation • Yacht transport

chapter 18 Direct routes to the Caribbean
• Route 1: The direct Trade Wind Route - Falmouth to Barbados
• Route 2: The direct Northern Route - Falmouth to Norfolk, Virginia
• Route 2A: The Offshore Route - Norfolk to the Caribbean
• Route 2B: The Intracoastal Waterway - Norfolk to Miami
• Route 2C: Norfolk to the Caribbean - Miami to Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands (USVI)
• Route 2D: The Offshore Route - Miami to the USVI direct

chapter 19 The trade wind route
• Route 3: Leg 1 - Falmouth to La Coruna •
Route 3: Leg 2 - La Coruna to Lisbon
• Route 3: Leg 3 • Lisbon to Porto Santo and Madeira • Porto Santo • Madeira
• Route 3: Leg 4 - Funchal to Las Palmas
• Route 3: Leg 5A - Las Palmas to Barbados • The last minute refit • The bluewater co-operative • Crew changes • Flights • The crossing
• Route 3: Leg 5B - Las Palmas to Barbados via Mindelo (Cape Verde Islands) • Latitude sailing

chapter 20 Caribbean cruising • Caribbean geography • A fast turnaround • Cruising grounds
• Route 4: Direct to Panama - Rodney Bay (St Lucia) to Colon
• Route 5: Aruba to Colon
• Route 6: Curacao to Santiago de Cuba
• Route 7: Curacao to Charlotte Amalie

chapter 21 Eastward bound • Departure times • Caribbean to the Eastern Seaboard of the USA
• Route 8: Charlotte Amalie to Miami
• Route 9: Havana to Key West
• Route 10: The Offshore Route: Miami to Norfolk
• Route 11: St Martin to Charleston direct
• Route 12: St Martin to Norfolk direct
• Route 13: St Martin to the Azores • The Azores high • St Martin to the Azores via Bermuda • Leaving from the Bahamas • Charleston to the Azores • The Gulf Stream • Charting the Gulf Stream
• Route 14: Charleston to the Azores • Arrival in the Azores
• Route 15: The Northern Route - Halifax to Falmouth
• Route 16: The final leg - the Azores to Falmouth
appendix
Boat details and crew list
index