USA : Profile

Facts

With the exception of Canadian boats, the number of foreign boats who visit this great country is still comparatively small. This is not helped by the onerous security and reporting requirements which are now in place.
The USA has a lot to offer the cruising sailor, particularly the East Coast, the entire length of which can be cruised from the Florida Keys to Maine. A cruise along this coast has the added attraction of the IntracoastalWaterway, a unique system of canals, rivers and estuaries, which stretches along most of the eastern seaboard offering the chance of sailing up or down the coast in sheltered waters almost within sight of the ocean.
Offering less variety, the West Coast's main attractions are concentrated at its two extremes. The most popular cruising area in the Pacific Northwest are the San Juan Islands, an archipelago of some 200 islands, many of which have been declared wildlife reserves or marine parks. Beyond these islands and through Canadian waters, the Inside Passage beckons, linking Puget Sound to Alaska, America's ultimate cruising destination. An increasing number of yachts sail to Alaska for the short summer season, either by taking the inside route, or making an offshore detour by stopping first at the Hawaiian Islands.
Visibility is often poor in the Pacific Northwest region, so radar is useful. The Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) on VHF Channel 14 provides a useful service in the Juan de Fuca Strait which is often fogbound and always very busy with traffic.
For those avoiding high latitude cruising, there is all year round sailing in the Pacific Southwest, whether in the San Francisco Bay area or the Channel Islands, off Southern California. Of the eight main islands, Santa Catalina is the best known and most popular. The other islands are less frequented and there are countless coves around their precipitous shores. Since some of the Channel Islands are either privately owned or part of the National Park system, a permit to visit them must be obtained in advance by those wishing to go ashore.
Yachting facilities throughout the United States are of a high standard. There are marinas practically everywhere and the only objection visiting sailors might have are the high docking fees. Fortunately almost everywhere there is also a place to anchor at little or no cost and in some ports municipal marinas, docks or moorings are priced at a level affordable by those cruising on a restricted budget.
On the East Coast the most important yachting centres where the whole range of repair facilities are available are the areas around the following cities: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Beaufort/Morehead City, Baltimore, City Island (New York), Newport, Marblehead. On the West Coast: San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco, Seattle. In between these places there are countless smaller ports, where one can find boatyards, chandleries and all kinds of workshops.

Security

Florida accounted for nearly a quarter of all watercraft thefts in the U.S. between 2009 and 2011. See report by Cruising Compass here.

The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com) gather information by anchorage or by island, so sailors can plan their cruising in the Caribbean with an eye to appropriate behaviour and precautions wherever they decide to go. Should you have information about a security incident, as well as contacting Noonsite please also forward details to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, as theirs is the most comprehensive source of Caribbean security incidents against sailors on the net. Please be sure to include boat name, date of incident and anchorage/port where the incident took place.

Weather

Being such a large country, the climate varies considerably, from cold and temperate in the north to tropical and desert in the south. Hurricanes occur from June to November on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The Gulf of Mexico and the South Eastern seaboard are particularly at risk, although hurricanes have reached up as far as New York on occasion. On the Pacific coast, however, it is rare that a tropical cyclone reaches as far as California. The weather in the Pacific Southwest is warm throughout the year, most of the rainfall occurring during the winter months with summers being very dry. Winds are mostly westerly, except for the hot dry NE winds, the Santa Anas, that come down the mountains. The Pacific Northwest has colder and wetter weather and cruising is decidedly seasonal, from May to October, with high summer being the best time. Winds are NW or W and many days are foggy.

NOAA Weather Website for the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Pacific NW - Puget Sound Weather Link.

USHarbours.com
Free website with tide charts, weather data and forecasts, photography, and local news for more than 1,100 harbors across 20 coastal states.