Picking up the Gulf Stream
27 April 2014 | Atlantic Ocean
John Stevenson
Earlier this morning we headed west to avoid 3 freighters as we passed north of the Bahamas. We then resumed our original WNW course. Soon our speed started to drop back below 6 kts as we entered another of the those eddies. This appeared to be a Warm Eddy (clockwise circulation) because as soon as turned back to the west out speed went back up to 6.5. By mid-morning we got out of the eddy and started to get a push from the edge of the Gulf Stream and turned once again to the WNW. As we moved further into the Gulf Stream our speed reached 8 kts. We should be able to hold this speed until just south of the St. John River entrance in about 21 hours., which unfortunately is about the time the ebb current out of the river will start. One more adverse current to deal with.
Steve and John