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Frequently asked questions

Where Is the Best Location to Start a Transatlantic Crossing (West to East)?

The most common departure points for a west-to-east transatlantic crossing are the Caribbean Islands, the Bahamas, and Annapolis/Norfolk.

Of these three locations, the Bahamas can often be the most challenging departure point , followed by Annapolis/Norfolk , while the northern Caribbean islands are generally the easiest .

Popular Caribbean departure points include Antigua and St. Maarten , which offer relatively straightforward access to favorable offshore conditions.

The Bahamas being further north can be frequently affected by fast moving fronts that approach from the NW. Also, with a stable Azores high pressure, you will often be left with Easterly headwinds for a departure.

While we have routed yachts returning to Europe as early as January and as late as July , most vessels typically plan departures in April or May .

The official Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through the end of November , with peak activity in August and September . However, historically, hurricanes have been recorded in the Caribbean during every month of the year.

Based on historical patterns and routing experience, mid-April to mid-May is generally considered the most favorable window for departure .

The crossing window from Europe to the Caribbean is broader, and departures can generally be recommended from November through April .

Traditionally, many yachts aim to arrive in the Caribbean before Christmas . From our perspective, however, the optimal crossing period is from January through the end of February , when conditions are often particularly stable and manageable.

For yachts departing from the Bahamas , Bermuda is often close to the natural route across the Atlantic, making it a convenient stopover.

Some yachts departing from the Caribbean prefer to decide whether to stop in Bermuda once underway. However, our recommendation is to make this decision before departure .

From a routing perspective, Bermuda and the Azores often require different routing strategies . Forecast models can change during a passage, and routing to the Azores in particular may require flexibility .

If Bermuda is intended as a stop, it is best to select a weather window suitable for that specific leg . For us at My Weather Router , knowing the intended final destination before departure allows us to provide the most accurate and effective routing support.

We work with yachts using several tracking systems, including Garmin InReach, Yellowbrick, and the PredictWind Hub/Tracker .

In our experience, the Garmin InReach has proven to be the most consistently reliable . While the PredictWind DataHub is widely used, we have occasionally seen issues such as freezing, crashes, or hardware failure when units are left running continuously throughout a season.

The Yellowbrick system has also proven to be reliable, particularly when integrated with a tracking webpage that others can follow during the passage.

What Are the Different Ways We Can Track Your Vessel?

There are several ways we can track your vessel during a passage.

Devices such as Garmin InReach, PredictWind Hub, and Yellowbrick allow us to monitor your position via a shared link or dedicated tracking webpage (for example, through events such as the ARC).

For more basic setups, some yachts send their position via text every eight hours , allowing us to manually plot their progress.

In other cases, crews simply send a screenshot of their position from their phone’s compass or navigation app via WhatsApp using Starlink . This gives us a screenshot of their Lat and Long. There are therefore many workable tracking options available.

With the widespread adoption of Starlink , communication with yachts at sea has become much easier.

We are able to send updates via WhatsApp , particularly in text format. However, our preferred method of communication remains email , as it allows us to provide more detailed reports and routing information.

Occasionally, yacht owners request that we keep crossings within specific parameters, such as maximum wind speeds or wave heights .

We always do our best to advise on weather developments and provide routing recommendations designed to minimize exposure to heavy conditions . Where necessary, we may also suggest alternative routes .

However, it is important to understand that we cannot control the weather and cannot guarantee that certain conditions will never be encountered. On a 20-day North Atlantic crossing , it is uncommon not to encounter at least one frontal system associated with North Atlantic low-pressure systems.

Yes. We are happy to include friends or family members in the daily weather reports, provided we are given their email addresses. There is no additional chargefor this service.

The Canary Islands can create extensive wind shadow zones , sometimes extending over 200 nautical miles downwind of the islands.

As the wind direction shifts, the shape and position of these wind shadows also change. It is therefore common for yachts to experience variable conditions for the first one to two days after departure .

Planning an effective departure route that exits the wind shadow quickly and reaches stable trade wind conditions can help the boat settle into a consistent passage more quickly.

We generally recommend that a yacht carry enough fuel to motor for at least five days during the crossing .

This recommendation applies to both east-to-west and west-to-east crossings , but it is particularly important when heading toward the Azores .

If the Azores High is stable, there are two areas where motoring is often required:

  1. Mid-ocean , if lighter winds develop while the Azores High forms or shifts.
  2. Approaching the Azores , where course deviations are limited as you close in on the final waypoint.

 

If the Azores High shifts eastward, yachts may experience light winds on the approach , which could easily require two to three days of motoring .

For these reasons, we recommend carrying sufficient fuel for a minimum of five days of motoring .