Our second 24 hour period had us travelling 169nm averaging 6.8 kn. We kept up this pace thru the morning but during the afternoon the wind started backing off. We started motor sailing at around 5:30 pm and by nightfall motoring without sails. We anticipate motoring the distance thru the Windward Passage after which 10knot easterlies are expected.

We rounded the Cape Dame Marie of Haiti around daybreak this morning. We have encountered many more ships going both directions. We assume they are passing thru between the US east coast and Panama.

As we were coming up the Carib Sea we encountered many large patches of Sargasso weed. This is the stuff you see on the Fl beaches all the time. There is an area in the middle of the Atlantic dubbed the Sargasso Sea. I have seen documentaries about the area which has its own eco system. There are certain kinds of shrimp and crabs living in the weed that other larger fish feed on. I also understand you wouldn�'t want to cut across that part of the ocean because of its density.

We are trying to maintain a pace that will allow us to enter Matthew Town on Great Inagua Island tomorrow afternoon. From there we will island hop up the Bahamas chain to reach Stuart.