The later and usually most devastating hurricanes in the Atlantic form near the Cape Verde Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. In the Caribbean, hurricanes generally travel to the west and curve clockwise to the north, but they have also been known to turn south and east. Pacific coast hurricanes develop in the vicinity of the Gulf of Tehuantepec which is near the border between Mexico and Guatemala and tend to travel more northward than Caribbean hurricanes do. They can come ashore and even cross into the Caribbean continuing their damage on the other side. But more often, Pacific coast hurricanes curve out to sea.
Winds swirl inward counterclockwise toward the eye of a hurricane in the northern hemisphere.
For a boater north of the path of an approaching hurricane which is moving northwest, the wind will veer to the right as it increases in speed. This is the most dangerous place to be. To get out of the way of the eye, a boater must sail into the wind. As the eye passes, sailing a reach away from the eye becomes more possible. South of an approaching storm, wind backs left as it increases in speed.