Past the Bahamas

7 May 2018

There are forecasts, on which we base our plans. And then there is reality… The forecasts predicted that the wind would turn eastwards in the evening, and after midnight the wind would turn south-east. So, our plan was to use the late south-east wind to sail out of the Northeast Providence Channel.
The reality was slightly different. Earlier than expected, the wind shifted eastwards. So, we were forced to sail more south. Not bad, because if the wind continued to turn south-east, we would be able to tack and sail out. However, the wind did not turn any further. It only brought us closer to Nassau. There we almost arrived at the land, and we had to tack. Because of the current we had to put the engine on, to go east.
Meanwhile, it was raining cats and dogs. This morning, the buckets beside the mizzenmast were half-full of water! Luckily for us, the wind turned in the late morning and we could set sail again. The air remained turbulent and occasionally there was still a small shower, but that stabilized slowly. It was a beautiful sight, all the different kinds of clouds around us!
The southeasterly wind has helped us all day long, and the Bahamas are no more than a memory. We can see that the weather is still not stable there, we see the thunderstorm behind us. Now, we have a beautiful starry sky with an occasional cloud that gently floats past.
Bermuda here we come!