May 7 2025 1745 hrs
We are now in the late afternoon of our second day. We have been averaging around 170nm days. I was hoping for 180 nm days but we stumbled in on a foul current flowing west, slowing us down. When sailing west to east from the US a boat enters the Gulf Stream flowing north and in some places northeast. We entered the Stream about 40nm offshore from St Augustine. We were lucky because where we entered it was flowing northeast at 2.5 to 4.0 kts, giving us a nice push in the direction of Bermuda. A gift from Poseidon perhaps? We hitched a ride on the current all last night and into late morning. Our luck changed when we sailed into a counter current going west and it slowed us down by 1.0 to 2.0 kts all afternoon. Just now OL broke free of the foul current and we now have a light current from behind. :-). We have been motor sailing all day so we are keeping up our speed in an attempt to get to Bermuda to meet our refrigeration parts so we can have refrigeration for the long leg to Horta in the Azores as well as having our fair share of “dark and stormy’s” a traditional Bermudian drink of ginger beer and dark rum. We still have 620 nm to the barrier reef ringing Bermuda, so lots of water ahead. We are optimistic we can be returning to sailing without the assistance from the Volvo later tonight or tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Showers came through this after noon which was welcomed. It is natures way of washing the salt build up that every ocean craft experiences. OL is now nice and clean for the next day or two. I showered on the transom as well, it felt good to wash off the salt and sweat.
We have been receiving weather updates from Commanders weather and well a Chris Parker. Commanders has a well earned reputation for ocean crossing weather routing for Ships and pleasure craft. Chris Parker has a large following of pleasure craft, sail and power that migrate up and down the East Coast with the seasons. I am comfortable in the routing advice we are receiving from both.
Today was a good day sailing, the crew is settling into the routine that is as old as sailing itself. We navigate, look after Orion’s Light, checking systems looking for what could go wrong before it does. We are always tidying up, adjusting sails and reading long stacked up books we have been meaning to get to. Wade is reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Kevin a Pacific war book covering navel battles of WW II. I’m reading A Farewell to Arms. Andy is on his computer catching up on a project he jumps in on after he returns home from Bermuda .
We took advantage of the mild weather and calm seas and cooked up some steaks, grilled onions and baked beans. Delicious. Kevin nailed the steaks. We are now settling into our watch schedule, anticipating a star show, most likely accompanied by heat lighting just over the horizon. It doesn’t get much better.