Are December hurricanes in our future?

[Iowa cruiser]

Sorry I have not kept up with this forum, so this topic may have been covered:

 

We are crusing the Mediterranean in late November and want to add a back-to-back southern transatlantic cruise home (to FLL or MIA) in early December.

 

I am a poor sailor (40 knot winds and 20 foot seas on a QE2 North Atlantic crossing a few years back almost got me) and would rather fly home if hurricane season is going to extend into December because of climate changes.

 

Any ideas regarding transatlantic crossings that late in the season? Thanks!

[wayne_trisha]

Florida resident here. It is very very unlikely you will experience any hurricanes or even tropical storms then. Even though Al Gore says otherwise and cheryl "one sheet" crowe may tell you otherwise, global warming still hasn't raised the water temps in december. It is much too cold for tropical storms then. Normal winter storms in the NE are a different story. Happy Sailing!

[ClipperMiami]

Dr Gray, the Colorado State Univ. hurricane guru says that hurricanes have no appreciable relationship to "global warming." There have been "aggresive" hurricane seasons in periods of record planatary low temperatures and mild season in periods of record planetary high temperatures. The Goracle, and the rest of the global warming hysterics are full of hooey.

 

Global warming and hurricanes aside, the North Atlantic is a vast body of water and it will be what it will be. The winter North Atlantic can be a brutal body of water to the unwary. Every mile south you go the winds and seas get 'better' as you get further into the tropics and closer to the Doldrums. If I were going to cross in December (which I am --- booked on Brilliance of the Seas Dec 2 from Barcelona to Miami) I'd want to be on a southerly track. Nothing is guaranteed but the odds get better the further south you go.

[Iowa cruiser]

Thanks for your viewpoints. I recall a December 2005 or 2006 Caribbean hurricane in the news, and that's why I posted. My plans are for November and December 2008 (have already booked the first of the two Barcelona cruises) so the December 2007 season will be a litmus test for 2008.

 

I too plan a southern route from Barcelona but may abort the trip if open jaw (to Europe then return home from FL) airfares remain outrageous (twice the round trip Barcelona price from our midwest airport). If that remains the case in 2008, we will just cruise the Mediterranean and forget the transatlantic.

 

Thanks again.

[stormtracker]

Hey Clipper,

 

neat you mentioned Dr Gray. I had the opportunity to meet him personally over cocktails at a stormchaser convention.

 

He is a great guy. He did say " Now that Im retired I can speak my mind. I can say un equivocally that the impact that humans have on global warming is measured at .25 of a degree if at all. I'm sure that they cant take my retirement pension so Im able to speak freely about this subject".

 

He also reminded us. In the 70's the buzz was global cooling and the coming ice age. I remember this well from elementary school.