The post Starlink On Our Sailboat (12v Conversion How-To) appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.
]]>Is Starlink Worth It For Offshore Sailing
The addition of Starlink has been a game changer for offshore sailing. Previous to this only large boats with huge budgets had the capability to access this level of data while offshore. Gone are the days of waiting 15 minutes to download a grib. Welcome to the connected world where you can view weather radar in real time, live weather stations and bouys, and pull up to the minute gribs in seconds.
As a huge bonus it allows for full connection for everything else, including to other boats near by but out of radio range. You can now text and VOIP just like on land. The internet connection on board our boat is now better than it was at my office on land just a few years ago! We haven’t turned on our IridiumGO! since installing the Starlink, it is that good! (We still keep our GO as a backup though for true offshore work, just as we also have on board an SSB radio.)
DIY Starlink 12v Conversion Steps for a Sailboat
We will add step by step instructions at some point, but we found the hardest part of the process was obtaining the correct parts to do it as there is some confusion out there.
Here is what we used to install and convert Starlink RV to 12v on our sailboat.
Parts to Replace Your OEM Starlink Router
The Starlink ethernet adapter is required if you wish to be able to do the conversion without cutting the cable to the Starlink dish, essentially allowing you to easily revert to using the original Starlink power supply and wireless router if you wish. We suggest this for beginners. Of course, advanced users, or those that are more confident in their wiring skills can save money by just cutting the Starlink cable and connecting it directly to the POE.
This is required to step-up the power on your boat from 12v to the 48v that the Starlink dish requires. It goes between your 12v battery power source (usually the breaker and fuse) and the POE power supply.
We used this simple, lightweight and cheap POE injector. POE stands for Power Over Ethernet. This allows the 48v power to be inserted into the Cat6 cable, replacing the power supply that is internal, inside of your now obsolete OEM Starlink router.
inHand 305 Router (Cellular Sim Card & Wifi)
You will need some type of your own wired or wireless router. We chose this industrial router for our boat. It is powered by 12v, which makes it plug and play into our existing electrical system with no need for an inverter, which is why we are also converting the Starlink anyway. This router is handy as it can be configured for wired and wireless routing, as well as a failover WAN to two different 4g SIM cards. This type of redundancy is excellent if you are using Starlink for work, or if you are switching to local cellular networks to save money on Starlink ocean pricing while near shore.
Starlink 12v Wiring
Shielded Cat6 Plug Ends (Field Installable)
These connectors make it easy to install new ends in your Cat5/Cat6 cables. It can be done on board with no special tools or crimpers. The best thing is, if you make a mistake, you can take it apart and re-use it. They are also clearly numbered and color marked for wire positions, allowing you to be sure you have the Starlink wire arrangement correct.
Of course, what network would be complete without cables! You will need one standard Cat5/Cat6 cable to run between your POE and your WAN port on your router.
Some boats use different systems, but this fits our existing electrical panel, allowing us to turn on and off the power to our 12v Starlink conversion on our boat easily from our navigation station.
We try to fuse everything. An ounce of prevention is great insurance. The Starlink 12v can consume up to 6amps at 12v so you should insert a 10 amp fuse in this.
Always use marine grade wire of proper guage for the length of the run on board to prevent voltage drop and fire risk.
No boat venturing out cruising around the world should be without a kit of these on board. We used these to connect our breaker and fuse to our 12v to 48v step up converter.
Other Starlink 12v Conversion Parts Options
Now there is another really slick option out there from YAOSHENG. We weren’t able to get these in the remote corner of the world where we are sailing, but it is a nice and slick way to do the conversion. We would surely try this if we were closer to home, but it is slightly more expensive.
Of course, the last option is the direct wire from the Starlink dish to a lightweight router. Of course, going direct without the Starlink adapter is a little more wiring intensive, but completely doable. It worked fine on board the racing boat and saved a few ounces and a few bucks.
We installed Starlink on a racing sailboat in this way and it worked very well. We used a small USB powered TP Link wireless router which worked like a charm.
Easy Starlink Mounting Options on a Sailboat
Rail Mount Fishing Rod Holder for Starlink RV
This is what we used on board our boat, as we already had several on board. It fit almost perfectly, but required drilling out a bit of the plastic bottom to accommodate the insertion of the Starlink wire. It is almost a direct fit. A little bit of tape is all that is required around the top to seal it from weather and stop the Starlink from spinning inside as it looks for satellites when you are in motion.
This is needed to seal the Starlink wire going through the deck for a permanent installation. We think the BlueSea stuff is pretty good quality, and the .83″ version was just large enough to pass the dish end of the OEM Starlink cable through. Yes, this will require drilling a hole in your shiny fiberglass, but it is well worth it for the game changing level of internet connectivity your boat will now have, plus it will look like a pro install and be water tight!
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]]>The post 8 Must Have Books For Sailing Around The World appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.
]]>1. Chapman’s Piloting
This is the book to start with when learning about boating and navigation. Perhaps it is the best all around resource to have on board to learn about navigation and piloting a recreational powerboat or sailboat.
2. USCG Navigation Rules Handbook
This is a requirement for any US Coast Guard Documented Vessel to have on board. It is a great resource for learning boat navigation light patterns. This is very important for nighttime navigation. It also covers all of the rules of the road, helping you to know what you should do when vessels meet on the ocean.
3. Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Routes
There are over 1000 routes in this book which help you find the right time and place to start and finish your voyages. Following the routes in this book will generally lead to pleasant offshore sailing and avoid major storms and hurricane seasons. We don’t always take sailing routes in this book, as we enjoy challenging conditions which are off the beaten path, but we do consult it regularly.
4. Nigel Calder’s Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual
If there is a name synonymous with DIY boat work it is Nigel Calder. This book will cover everything you possibly need to know to maintain your boats important systems while sailing, especially your engine and electrical system, which may be most sailors biggest challenge. Keeping your boat in top condition is a challenge in harsh saltwater conditions, but it is very important as a working boat is your primary means of transportation and your home.
5. Sir Ben Ainslie’s Complete Sailing Manual
If you want to sail around the world, well, you need to learn to sail. This book covers how to really sail boats big and small, catamarans and monohulls, both fast and slow. Written by national champion and Olympic sailors, you will learn how to sail and trim the proper way to make your boat move through the water. This means more speed, less fuel consumption, a smoother ride, and a happier crew!
6. Bowditch’s American Practical Navigator
Do you want to know everything there is to know? This giant book will teach it to you. This is the book you can find on the bridge of every US Merchant Maritime vessel and is the reference manual for professional seaman. Its over 1200 pages cover meteorology, navigation, oceanography, weather, and contains countless tables, charts, and illustrations.
7. Pardey’s Storm Tactics Handbook
A list of essential around the world Sailing books can not be complete without a how-to book from Lin and Larry Pardey. The number one reason sailors never leave port is fear of bad weather. The number one reason people abandon ship is because of problems when the going gets tough. This book will teach you what you need to know to get through tough storm conditions safely on your sailboat.
8. Dashew’s Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia
Perhaps the original Performance Cruising sailing couple, Steve and Linda Dashew have compiled all of their vast knowledge of sailing and boatbuilding into one book! This book contains all you need: from the time you start thinking about purchasing a boat to sail around the world, to reference items and ideas while en-route.
There are surely lots of other great books, both inspirational and educational on the topic of sailing around the world. These are books we have actually read and find valuable enough to carry aboard with us. We think you will love them also. If there is one we forgot, please drop us a note in the comments below.
Note: We do earn a commission off of the links to Amazon to purchase these books. We think it is a win/win, as we can share some of our knowledge with you and you can support our journey at no additional cost to you when you make purchases.
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]]>The post What is the Best Navigation Solution for Sailboat Cruising? appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.
]]>These and other similar questions many ask when beginning to contemplate navigating outside of their local area, are important to answer. I think the answer depends on your needs and sailing type to determine what is right for you.
Let’s start by examining the options we have available to us.
Apps & Tablet-Based Navigation
An iPad or Android tablet with Navionics is perhaps the easiest solution that is ready to go out of the box. It is really good and paired with a cell phone/wifi-enabled tablet surprisingly accurate. A bonus is the sonar charts, which we really like and have found to be very helpful in less well-charted areas. We cruised for almost a month in Lake Michigan, North Channel, Georgian Bay, and Lake St. Claire with just that. But, there are some issues, the biggest of which is rain or spray. Most tablets combined with Navionics, or other apps, become worthless when wet, too hot, or too cold. This is generally when you need that nav data most, critical conditions in bad visibility.
Budget: $
Pros:
Easy Setup
Easy to Use
Lower Cost Charts
Cons:
Extreme Conditions Loss of Function
No Weather Routing
OpenCPN and Low-Cost PC Navigation Systems
Not quite as plug and play, but also another cheap option. If you happen to have an old laptop lying around your house, this is just about as close to free as you can get. OpenCPN is a really good open-source software that has been developed over many years by real sailors. It can be downloaded online and will run on most laptops. Charts for most areas can also be downloaded for free. It does take a small learning curve, and some of the charts may not be as full-featured of commercial offerings. We use OpenCPN as our backup PC-based nav/chart program aboard s/v Sweet Ruca.
Budget: $
Pros:
Free to Download
Real Sailor Dev Community
Customizable & Expandable
Cons:
Higher learning curve (compared to Navionics/iPad)
Still need on deck display solution
Handheld GPS
The Garmin GPSMap 72 or 78 is the tried and true standard here. There are other similar models from other manufacturers. You can pick one of these up on eBay for less than a case of beer! Although the screen is microscopic by today’s standards, this unit is almost bulletproof. It usually comes preloaded with charts for your cruising area. It can slosh around in the bilge and still work on command. I’ve sailed thousands of miles with one of these bashing around the cockpit floor, and still keep one as a ditch bag backup.
Budget: $ – $$
Pros:
Usable in All Weather Conditions
Fast Learning Curves
Durable
Cons:
Small Screen
Chartplotters (B&G, Raymarine, Garmin, Simrad, etc.)
Perhaps the most expensive option, but also most reliable when the conditions get snotty. Most chart plotters (Multi-Function Displays or MFDs) by the major instrument manufacturers are pretty much the same these days. Charts are usually more expensive to purchase for these because the manufacturers make everything proprietary. They do work very well though for real-time sailing navigation, especially when combined with radar and a full instrument package.
Budget: $$
Pros:
Reliability
Usability in Extreme Conditions
Instrument / Radar Interfaces
Cons:
Expensive and Require Installation
No Weather Routing
Expedition & Commercial Navigation Software
This is what the big boys use, usually in conjunction with MFDs and instrument/radar packages. We use Expedition and C-Map charts aboard Sweet Ruca as our primary navigation source. This gives us the ability to log everything in one place. It also allows us to use our boats’ polar speeds in conjunction with weather and current information to choose the best sailing routes. This has a high learning curve, but when making multiple week passages, it can cut days off your route and allow you to dodge serious weather. Data is relayed on deck via an iPad running remote desktop and the system is integrated with our MFDs and instrument displays. If you want to up your sailing game or simply want to have the same capabilities as the sailors in the Volvo Ocean Race and Vendee Globe do, this is it.
Budget: $$$
Pros:
Weather Routing
Commercial Support & Training
Best Capability
Cons:
Highest Cost
Learning Curve
DIY Systems
There are quite a few that make use of RPi, mini PCs, etc, and combine them with waterproof touch screens. One can build a pretty capable navigation system using DIY parts. Most government charts can be downloaded for free on the web. Combine these things with some open-source software and you can build your own killer app. For us, although it would be really fun to explore this route, there are too many other boat projects to allow time for this.
Budget: $-$$$
Pros:
Budget Flexibility
Custom Features
Ultimate Freedom
Cons:
Time, no plug and play
Highest learning curve
Conclusion
So what is the best navigation option for you and your boat?
The best thing to start with and build upon is perhaps a small handheld GPS with charting ability such as the Garmin GPSMap78.
If you are a sunny day sailor and don’t venture out of cell phone range, apps such as Navionics on iPad or Android are probably your best bet. If you venture further from land or spend more than a day at a time at sea, a combination of at least two methods provides some redundancy.
If you expect bad weather or cruise in areas of the Northern USA, at least one built-in chart plotter with buttons from a well-regarded manufacturer such as Raymarine, B&G/Simrad, or Garmin would be recommended.
If you are venturing into new anchorages or crossing oceans, a PC-based navigation option, in combination with apps and chart plotter/radar/ais/instruments, allows for the best passage planning, redundancy, and real-time sailing data like wind, depth, and current.
If you intend to race at all, or really enjoy performance sailing, Expedition Navigation Software is where it is at!
If you have a low budget, you can put together a safe, capable, and redundant navigation system for a reasonable cost via DIY. Just don’t expect all of the bells and whistles, and realize it may have its limits in bad weather or if you are less technically apt.
If your budget can afford it, or you are venturing into areas where safety is paramount, get the best system you can.
If you are really cheap and an old salty dog, there are always the tried and true paper charts, ruler, dividers, and sextant! Paper charts and books actually get pretty costly though if you venture far and wide. We do recommend having some type of redundancy wherever you go, but in our opinion, paper charts are a little dated.
For any system, don’t skimp on training time. Read the manual, get screen time, and/or take the training classes. Most navigation failures occur due to user error, it is important to have a good understanding of your equipment before you set sail.
See you on the water!
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]]>This may sound silly as the first item on the list, but our navigation, comms, and instrument software is vital to our safety.
B&Gs software update to the Zues3 MFD and NAC3 autopilot had some important changes. The one we enjoyed the most was faster radar display updates via wifi to the iPad at the nav station. Which also required updates to its OS and the Link app.
We use C-Map Max charts in the Zues and C-Map 4D charts in Expedition Navigation software down below. The charts contain not only just water depths, but quick access to important information such as marina phone numbers and emergency contacts. It is important to keep these up to date.
Our IridiumGo, which is our main link to the outside world for weather and communications required updates to its associated iPad and Android apps. This insured our web, email, text messaging, and SOS buttons worked.
Not quite as essential, our cameras and video editing software also required updates.
It is important to do this in plenty of time before leaving, as once out of the range of cell phone towers troubleshooting software issues becomes painful, if not impossible.
6. Download Offline Content
We spent hours at the local yacht club and restaurants hoarding their wifi.
We keep most books, music, videos, and boat manuals digitally. There is no google out there, so you have to bring all the knowledge you might need with you.
We have engine and electrical schematics, lists of medicines and emergency medical treatments, pilot charts, radio channel lists and schedules and more.
If you want to relax a bit while sailing and listen to music, there are no radio stations or pandora.
5. Carry More Spares for the Boat and People
When sailing the US East Coast or Caribbean you are never more than a day away from a marine or out parts store.
Out in the mid ocean, that is a different story, as we could be weeks away from a critical part we need.
Therefore, we must bring everything we could conceivably need with us. This applied to all critical infrastructure and systems aboard.
We normally carry a substantial list of supplies, but some areas we really stocked up in were engine parts, rigging parts, sail repair materials and tools, hull and fiberglass repair (especially for below waterline collisions), and first aid supplies.
4. Food, Water, and Fuel
This is what everyone thinks of first, but it is a fairly normal part of our daily lives.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic and associated potential quarantine times we now keep a minimum of 14 days of extra “normal” food plus emergency freeze dried on the boat at all times. Stocking up for an ocean crossing is really just topping up our existing supplies.
Water is another normal part of life. We always have 5 gallons of emergency drinking water as well as a watermaker onboard. Prepping for water is really just a matter of making sure our existing 120 gallon tanks are full.
We do carry extra fuel in jerry cans when going for sails over 1000 miles. Normally we keep our extra cans empty and tucked out of the way, so before we leave we make sure they are filled with an additional 20 gallons of fuel. A quick run in the dinghy to the gas dock with our jugs takes care of this.
3. Watch the Weather
As sailors, the weather or more specifically the wind, waves, and currents drive our course to the next destination as well as when is the best time to leave. A good weather window makes for a smooth and fast trip.
We use multiple tools to stay on top of this, but we find the most important are our optimal routing tools.
Expedition software allows us to estimate our projected best route, sails we will use, and fuel we will require to complete the trip based on the expected weather (downloaded via grib files). It also gives us an estimated total time of completion, which is good to compare weather windows on different days.
When still on land and we have internet on our cell phones, we supplement routing data with other quick to view weather sources such as Sailflow, Predictwind, and Windy.
2. Boat Maintenance and Checks
Our boat is not only our home, but it is our means of transportation and our primary safety and survival system.
Before we left we went through and did our own survey on the boat. We repaired or replaced anything that was worn or in question.
We replaced most of the boats original hatch seals, ridding ourselves of a few annoying drips, but more importantly preventing small problems from becoming bigger ones at sea.
We also checked our rigging, sails, steering gear, engine, seacocks, hoses, and safety equipment. We dove the boat to check the prop and driveline, checked thru hulls had no obstructions, and that the hull was clean and otherwise OK.
1. Relax
It is important to decompress and relax a bit after all of the boatwork and prep. Take some time to breathe and see the sights if you can. A good meal and easy night out is a great way to end your time in a location.
Careful though, don’t overdo it as you don’t want to start a long offshore sail tired and not feeling 100%.
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]]>The post Takeoff – Rounding a Great Cape and Leaving the USA appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.
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We had stopped in Annapolis, Maryland, for the United States Sailboat Show in October. We still had a big to-do list for the boat to work through, but we had planned on sailing south and completing it in North Carolina, Georgia, or Florida. We grabbed a dock for the boat show at the famous Jabin’s Yacht Yard. My parents and aunt and uncle were coming to visit, and we felt the ease of walking to the boat via a dock rather than transiting an anchorage in the inflatable would better suit their visit. It did, and it was nice being “off the hook” for a bit.
We enjoyed the show. We picked up some mission-critical items such as a new life raft at great deals. We also splurged on some water toys, a floating inflatable “dock” (Curtis’ storage and weight nemesis), and a second paddle inflatable board. We also met some great industry people that gave us some great help and advice. Thanks, Alden @ Edson and Steve @ Marlow!
It was also interesting to see the impact YouTube was having on the cruising sailor and the sport in general. Many new sailors were drawn in by the appearances of quasi-famous Vlog sailors such as SV Delos, Sailing LaVagabonde, and Tula’s Endless Summer. We also realized just how different we were from those sailors. With our racing backgrounds, we tend to push a little harder and a bit further. Our cruising friends say we need to slow down, we shall see about that, as I am still waiting for our first 200-mile day.
Post boat show, we were about to leave to go south. In passing, we suggested to Jabin’s that we had a worklist requiring a haul out. Surprisingly, they said they could accommodate us if we could be there at 8 am the next day. We took the offer, expecting just to spend a few days on some minor touch up and inspection. What we didn’t count on was meeting up with the experts at Beasley Marine. It just so happens we met once before, in a horse-drawn carriage on Mackinac Island a few months earlier.
As it turned out, Mike Beasley, the owner, and round the record-breaking world sailor himself, offered to do the carbon fiber work to our rig to install the inner forestay that I had wanted all along. We couldn’t refuse and got right to work. He also inspected our rudder bearings and assisted us with the replacement and retrofit of new Jefa bearings to replace the existing Harken bearings, which were no longer in production. Lastly, while we were waiting, we figured we would re-wire the boats 12v system and relocate the batteries under the guidance of Andy @ YES (Yacht Electrical Systems). The autopilot was sent out to be inspected and rebuilt. Lastly, the sails were taken to the loft to be recut to accommodate the forestay, batten pockets reinforced, and a third reef added. What started as a quick three-day inspection and bottom paint touch up spiraled into a month-long major refit.
We didn’t “need” to do anything and could have sailed the boat for years as is, but, seeing as we sail more like racers and less like cruisers, the modifications make the boat much more of a weapon offshore and also safer. The IFS and staysail combination along the with the additional reef in the main gives us the ability to safely and efficiently sail in a greater range of conditions, especially upwind (where most cruisers never venture). The relocation of the batteries gives not only optimal charging, reliability, and balancing; it also centralizes and lowers their weight in the boat for lower COE (center of effort), and increased stability.
The rudder bearings were perhaps the improvement which I am most grateful for. They were expensive, but give much greater confidence in the boat when we are pushing her hard. We routinely reach double-digit boat speeds; having reliable steering is very important. Not only did we glue the bearings in after careful alignment, the man himself, Beasley, also added fiberglass reinforcement to ensure the lower bearing would never fall out.
The bad part, the clock was ticking, it was getting cold. We had to get out of dodge and get south. We used a plethora of portable heaters to keep the boat and materials warm enough to work with. Finally, after the year’s first snow, just before thanksgiving, Jabin’s splashed the yacht just in time. Keith, the Dockmaster, even gave us a free night at the dock to get things sorted before we left. As it was, our weather routing had us setting off the next day, perfect!
As a side note, Bert, Keith, and crew at Jabin’s are top-notch! Everyone from the front office to the travelift drivers were on their game, helpful and friendly. If you haven’t had the privilege of stopping at Jabin’s, you need to. It is a cruisers (and racers for that matter) dream boatyard. They were DIY friendly, but you also had access to some of the east coasts best marine service techs, composites, and riggers. There were cruisers from many places, an excellent social mood, a free stuff trading table, clean laundry, and bathrooms. Some say that it is pricey. I say that you get what you pay for.
We were off the dock in the dark, heading into a rainstorm, just three days before thanksgiving. There would be no turkey dinner for us, just November rain, but we needed to get south where it was warmer, out of freezing weather. We were routing for the Abacos, Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas. If we pushed through the night down the Chesapeake Bay in the rain, we should have fair weather and optimal winds for the remainder of the trip. This time of year, weather windows can be short and fluky. You take what you can get, when you can get it.
The majority of the first night was motoring into driving rain and 20 knots of wind down the Chesapeake. We dodged 1000 foot container ships and tugs in tow. At one point, we hit a fishnet with the prop; thankfully, we had installed a line cutter while on the hard during our refit. Our experience in Maine would never let us motor confidently at night without one. The net slowed us down for a few minutes, but no dangerous nighttime dive under the boat was required to free us.
The rain subsided early in the morning and allowed us to set sail on the way to Virginia Beach. We desperately wanted to stop in there to re-fuel, but that would have cost us valuable hours in our weather window. Later, we would regret this decision. We pushed on under sail, pacing with a 70ft Hylas. The race was on down the coast of Virginia and North Carolina as we both headed to Cape Hatteras. As we entered the ocean off of VA Beach, the wind clocked off the shore and built to 30 knots. We sent Kate up the rig to clear a halyard so we could three sail reach. We were plowing along at 9-11 knots in flat water.
Conditions sustained, we held the 70 footer off, keeping him and a 500 ft freighter just off our starboard quarter and passing another 46ft cruiser. We were barreling toward Cape Hatteras as night fell. The freighter had been hanging so close it was almost as if he was pacing up. After dark, I gave him a call on the radio to make sure we wouldn’t have any issues through the night. His response was, “you are going around the Cape in that small boat, it is rough tonight.” This wasn’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but we discussed forecast models. After a few minutes and his review of updated forecasts, he realized that my forecasting was better than his companies weather routers. He wished me luck and decided to speed up as he was less worried about the forecast.
If a 500 ft ship captain had been slowing down to miss adverse conditions, what was I doing headed in the right direction at full speed? Kate was sleeping and was soon to be overcome with seasickness. I was single-handed around the USA’s great Cape in the middle of the night in big breeze. Was I worried? A bit. This is where my racing experience kicked in. I knew to have confidence in my weather routing and forecasting. I knew to have confidence in the boat. We were set up to rip to the Bahamas and have our fastest 24 hour run under sail yet. Send it!
Cape Hatteras was as described. A mess of current and sloppy short chop tall waves. We were tossed around considerably as we skirted the minimum distance from shore to avoid the adverse Gulf Stream current. We wanted to cross it at 90 degrees just after the Cape. The motion of the Cape put Kate down for the count. She spent any time not in bed on the edge of the cockpit, sharing her dinner with Poseidon. I felt terrible, but the only choice was to push through the conditions as fast as possible. We put down 185 miles in 24 hours through the Gulf Stream, an average of 7.7 knots. Fast for a fully laden single-handed cruiser.
The next morning the seas subsided along with the wind. We were through the stream but left with less wind than forecast. Not enough to sail. We downloaded the next satellite weather update from Predictwind and IridiumGo. We could sit and wait for more wind, but it would come on the nose and hard. We could motor, making VMG at the Bahamas, but again be met with wind on the nose in 24 hours. We would also use the last of our fuel, remember we skipped our fuel stop in Virginia. We got the charts out and weighed our options. We decided to motor to Cape Fear, NC, just at the edge of our fuel range. It would equate to our first upwind tack, a day ahead of the breeze. Plus, we could fish and get a nights sleep on anchor before we re-fueled.
We crossed the Gulf Stream for the second time in our trip in mirror glass water conditions. We caught a Mahi for dinner, our first offshore fish. We re-fueled and met another cruising couple in the marina; they were headed north to sell their boat and go back to work. They passed us their cruising guides for the Bahamas and wished us luck. We set off once again for the Bahamas. Yet a third crossing of the stream this season (we would end up crossing it five times this year).
We knew we would be slightly cracked off upwind and could one tack Abaco based on our new routing. We set sail off Cape Fear in a gentle breeze and flat water. It would gradually build to 8-foot steep chop and 30 knots of breeze. We sailed loud and fast under reefed main and full #2 Genoa, eventually reefing it and then going to the mainsail only to slow the boat. Banging and jumping off waves at speeds over 10 knots at times, setting us up for another 180-mile day. Kate’s dinner was once again uncooperative, but we had islands on our minds.
Things eventually subsided into an excellent broad reach in 18 knots. Perfect conditions. We let the autopilot drive and relaxed a bit in open water. We were over 200 miles offshore, out of reach of the coast guard. We were indeed on our own now. A day or so later, we would be in warm weather and turquoise water with a Mahi on the fishing line.
‘Till next time.
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