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Re: Alternatives to Cooper if North swell
[Re: Jf1234]
#298075
03/23/2023 10:25 AM
03/23/2023 10:25 AM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,092 GA/NC
GeorgeC1
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,092
GA/NC
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It’s a very rare north swell that impacts Cooper. In fact I have never seen it happen in 200 plus trips. It would have to be a monster swell out of the NNE. In April I would not even worry about it. Great Harbor at Peter would be the best all weather anchorage nearby.
Last edited by GeorgeC1; 03/23/2023 10:27 AM.
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Re: Alternatives to Cooper if North swell
[Re: Jf1234]
#298200
03/24/2023 10:27 PM
03/24/2023 10:27 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 106 New York, NY, USA
pk5352
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 106
New York, NY, USA
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We were down this past December during a BIG north swell (wind was also out of the North, like STRAIGHT North, the entire week). Anyway, we spent a night at Cooper during the peak of that Swell on a Catamaran. I would say that the south end of the mooring field would have been less than pleasant- rolly and wind-piled. However, the balls that are tucked in under the point on the north side of the field were not bad at all. The mooring field was pretty empty that night, but those northern moorings were ok. NOT GREAT. But ok. Again, on a Cat.
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Re: Alternatives to Cooper if North swell
[Re: Jf1234]
#298206
03/25/2023 07:25 AM
03/25/2023 07:25 AM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,092 GA/NC
GeorgeC1
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,092
GA/NC
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Just so everyone understands what happens in the BVI and other Caribbean islands regarding the swell. The North swell actually has nothing to do with wind. You can have a massive North Swell with dead calm winds. You will always have waves or what I call wind driven chop that form with the wind and move in the same direction. It’s usually short period waves which can make for an uncomfortable ride out on the water especially bashing into the wind. Swell on the other hand starts in the North Atlantic often off the NE US during nor’easters. That is why it’s predominantly a winter issue. Those storms create long period swells in the ocean that take a few days to move down to the BVI. This is why they can be accurately forecast. Out on the water they don’t cause any real issues. Just a gentle up and down motion on the boat and they are rounded and smooth unlike wind blown waves that are short and steep turn into whitecaps at about 15 knots. Swells becomes an issue however when they reach shallow water. They carry large amounts of energy and when the hit shallows turn into breaking waves. This is why North facing anchorages can become nasty in a swell. The amount of water moving can also wrap around islands and impact anchorages not north facing if it’s a large swell. They can even reflect off one island back to another. You can see these effects in White Bay JVD in the winter. Sometimes in the winter you get my personal favorite. Christmas winds out of the east with a North swell. Now you can have 4 to 6 foot seas in 20 knots of wind crossing the swell at 90 degrees. Makes for a long week. Here are videos of North swell in CGB. Note there is no real wind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXHUCc8t4ohttps://www.facebook.com/BritishVirginIs/videos/2657169884335209/
Last edited by GeorgeC1; 03/25/2023 07:47 AM.
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Re: Alternatives to Cooper if North swell
[Re: Jf1234]
#298412
03/28/2023 01:29 AM
03/28/2023 01:29 AM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901 Maine
Breeze
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901
Maine
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Cooper has one of the prettiest sunset views in all the BVI. I love taking some personal gawk time on the beach between cocktails and dinner.
Cooper is also one of the most dangerously fickle mooring fields in the BVI, and giving more money to Boatyball for a reserved ball won't change that metric. When the water in Manchioneel Bay is moving with current and tide in one direction, the evening breeze coming through the saddle of Cooper Island is going to create havoc when it whistles down through the field at 90+ degrees to the boats set. Boats which have been sitting pretty to each other are going to take all kinds of ugly sets opposed to each other,. God help anyone moored if ANY boat (s) decided to spend a night on the hook. 3 AM on deck in BVD's or barely-there PJ's setting fenders round and round is just really no fun at all. It isn't all about being back-winded: you'd wish being back-winded was the only issue.
Considering that the night breezes in the BVI can be highly variable in both direction and velocity, especially when not driven by front or squall ??? Overnighting there is actually like cozying up to Freddy Krueger. You can come up smiling in the morning, but when you aren't smiling-it was a long dang night !
Yep, we have a love-hate relationship with Cooper. Since we're never at a loss for good food right from our boat galley, we've put Cooper on the short list of places OK to bypass. No one seems to complain when we stay at Anegada for a second night.
OH, where would we go that night instead of Cooper ? We'd try to get a look into Benarus Bay, Norman. We'd think about going out around Cistern Point, Cooper, to Haulover Bay. We'd be perfectly fine taking a ball at Marina Cay, or Key Bay, Peter. Which brings up another tut-tut about BB--if you let that guaranteed reserved mooring ball decide for you when you'll quit for the day, you pretty much deserve being locked onto a ball when it's too late to change your mind.
Last edited by Breeze; 03/28/2023 01:44 AM.
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