480 miles of open water to cross, passing through the
Bermuda triangle, crossing the gulf stream and reaching America via the “graveyard of
ships”
It all sounded a bit dramatic, but with a good long range
forecast we set off. We didn't want to make landfall in the US in the dark so we tried to estimate our
passage time, this was complicated by the unknown factor of the Gulf Stream
which flows from Florida across the Atlantic to the west coast of the UK .
Some predictions showed we may pick up 3-4 knts of favourable current if we
could find it but it was quite a big IF.
Day one was a nice downwind sail in a F3/4, sunny and warm
with a gentle swell. A slightly frustrating adverse current of about 1knt but
the main issue we had was the amount of weed in the water which kept fouling
our generator which we tow in the water, I was clearing it every half hour.
Day two and the wind steadily increased and we had some fast
sailing, right up to the point we ran into a 2knt adverse current. We were
obviously pretty near the gulf stream but so far had only picked up counter
currents not the main event. Oh and more weed !
Day three we finally hit the warm water of the gulf stream,
the water temperature was over 30 deg, but all that really happened was that
the giant hand causing the current stirred and splashed at the water making in
very uncomfortable but with very little in the way of positive current, very
disappointing.
Our forth night at sea was pretty busy, we were approaching
land so shipping increased, sandbanks and shallows had to be avoided and then
as a finally we had 30knts of wind appear from nowhere and last couple of
hours. Always in the dark at 2 in the morning and approaching land……..the law
of sod ! But we were joined by some dolphins in the final hours.
Anyway we arrived at the Beaufort inlet in the morning, had
a couple of interesting hours motoring slowly in against an ebb tide and were
very grateful to tie up at the marina, hot showers, courtesy car for shopping
and as much free fresh water as I wanted to finally rinse months of salt water
from Magnum.
Clearing in was easier than expected, the marina let us use
their phone and I gave details of passports, last port of call, cruising permit
etc and then they arranged to come to the marina to finish the formalities. An
hour later they were there, very efficient and friendly and we have been allow
to stay until the end of the year.
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