“Oh, did you read what the Bandits are doing now, the lucky sods?”

“What's that then?”

“Not only are they off to the Caribbean, get this, they're taking a mini break in Bermuda en-route.”

Let me tell you folks. That's the YouTube version. The reality is quite different. Contrary to our intuition, experience, planning, reading, advice and dodging around the Chesapeake at two or three knots, killing time, time we now desperately need, we ended up crossing the three knot Gulf Stream in twenty knots of contrary wind over current. Said wind from the chilly, bone freezing north.

After seventy miles of a heavy duty wash we emerged, engaged launch control and turned south east for Bermuda sitting at ten or so knots surfing into the high teens in a fairly steady force six to seven, the former being known as a “yachtsman's gale”, the latter as a pain in the ass.

It was, and remains a race against the clock. A south easterly gale is going to hit Bermuda from about 18:00 on Thursday night, in about thirty six hours.

Consequently, we've kept the pedal to the metal, abandoned all hope of sleep and are charging headlong into the pitch black, safely tucked up in our lounge, patio doors firmly shut against the unpleasantness outside.

Our tight schedule was further stressed by an incident I’ll report later, but folks, as noted, this cruising lark isn't all beer, skittles and Bermuda.

Not that we're ones to complain.

Here's our route, from now on known as The Force Seven route.


Stuart & Anne

Our Tracker (cut and paste)
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