Through the Gulf Stream - but not pretty

Posted by Ed

Sunday early afternoon and we are finally through the Gulfstream. It was a rough night probably similar to being in the agitation mode of a very large washing machine.

Our weather guru, Herb, on the SSB radio suggested a different way point to enter the stream which was another 125 miles to the northwest from our original way point that Commander's Weather gave us for entering the stream. Herb suggested the breeze will be about 25 knots from the SE and higher in the Gulfstream so it was best to traverse the stream Sunday night rather than Saturday evening. We actually traversed the stream Sunday morning.

Herb also said there is a discrepancy in the Gulfstream charts produced by the Navy and another Gulfstream chart called an altimeter chart. Herb believes the Navy chart was way off on defining the parameters of the Gulfstream and since his information was more current than our now three or four day old information from Commander's Weather, I chose to go with Herb's way points for entering the stream.

We altered course to the northwest and we were dead downwind with the wind up to 29 knots. The seas were pretty powerful and were tossing Gypsea around rolling port to starboard and back again making it difficult to steer and more difficult to get any rest as you were being tossed around in your bunk. We hand steered through the night rather than risk the chance of the windvane slipping into a jibe position.

In the early morning we were still a good distance from the way point for entering the Gulfstream but since it was so uncomfortable aboard, we jibed over and headed North across the Gulfstream and were clear of the stream in just about five hours.

Everyone is doing well although a little behind on our sleep but since Hans Solo (the Monitor windvane) is steering once again, we are able to relax and when off watch catch up on our sleep.

We are about 290 miles from Marblehead and should arrive sometime Tuesday assuming we don't have a strong easterly preventing us from sailing on the outside of Nantucket and Cape Cod.

Our present coordinates are 37 55.5N and 69 32.2W.

We will update our progress tomorrow.