Prepared for Crossing the Gulf Stream

On 2/9/06 we rented a car in Ft. Pierce, FL to get supplies for the crossing to the Bahamas. On 2/14 we arrived in Palm Beach, FL and changed the oil, oil filter, fuel filter and transmission oil. We completd the provisioning putting extra cans of diesel, gasoline and water in jerry cans on the deck. The weather reports indicate that there will be a weather opening when the wind and waves will moderate to sail to the Bahamas beginning Saturday night and extending into Monday. It now looks like Sue Tonon will be able to fly in at midnight on Saturday to sail with us and if the weather holds we will leave in the early morning hours of Sunday and probably head for West End on Grand Bahama. The crossing will be about 53 nautical miles and will take about 11 hours. We will arrive mid afternoon and clear customs. The course we will sail is a bearing 20 degrees South of West End. This will carry us across the Gulf Stream in an S curve that will initially be further South than we want to go and later carry us further North than we want to go. As we cross the Gulf Stream flows from South to North and will push us to the North. The math works out so that this course will get us across in 1/2 to l hour sooner than a direct course. We are looking forward to making the crossing and to getting to know the people and the waters of the Bahamas.