Alexander and Aylin ready their snorkeling gear.

Time to put some more water under the keel.

This morning we’ll depart the island of Culebra, off of the east coast of Puerto Rico, for a four-day  sail to the Bahamas.  We’re bound for Georgetown, in the Exumas.  The winds look to be moderate and aft of the beam.  The seas may be a little mixed at the start, but then should even out. We’ll see what we find out there.

We’ll sail NNW for two days, and then take a left hand turn to sail due west into the Bahamas.  We’ll do this, rather than sail the rhumb line directly into to the islands, because the wind is to come from the E, and is to be only 10-15 knots.  It’s tough to sail straight downwind when the winds are that light. It will be easier to sail with that wind just aft of our beam instead. After two days, the wind is supposed to veer ESE and taking the left hand turn should allow us to keep the wind aft of the beam, on the other tack.

Once in the Bahamas, the sailing should get a little bit easier, as we can tuck behind the reefs to get protection from the seas.  But every rose has its thorns.  Those same reefs have claimed many a ship over the years, and we’ll need to be vigilant, particularly sailing at night, and especially in the narrower channels where the shipping is concentrated.

We should be in by  Wednesday, May 18.

Boston now a mere 1500 miles away.