Making your way eastward on a sailboat in the Bahamas is a challenge. Sitting squarely in the tradewinds, the prevailing winds in the islands varies from northeast to southeast. Any trip to the east requires either waiting for a break in the winds, or sucking it up and beating into them.

Our usual preference is to wait, and we have, for weeks in some cases. This time we decided to take it on the nose for our voyage from Lucaya to Royal Harbor. The forecast was for winds of 10 to 18 knots, and was very accurate.

We’re now about 26 hours into it, and closing in on our destination. The boat is making good speed, close hauled, a smooth ride, although a bit wet on deck.

Of course in an Amel cockpit we are bone dry.