From the cockpit 3:50am

Hello from the cockpit of Cricket. It is 3;50am my shift from 2-6am. I'm tracking nine AIS vessels. They all look like they see me. The Bimini mail boat was super kind to show his intentions. He was on the exact same course and over coming me and coming up to my but and then he noticeably change 10 degrees. I waved bye as he passed but am doubtful in the blackness he saw me. 

The gulf stream is a mighty force of flow! What people say is true. you can't describe it until you're in it. And then I'm having a hard time. 

We have a 13 knot nose wind and am motoring. A southeast wind sounds like a good idea but its not. We are heading straight east. Well kind of. Our GPS heading is 94 degrees almost straight east but here is the rub ... our boat direction and compass heading (compass is the way the boat is pointed) ... We are 164 degrees that is a difference of 70 degrees. So our boat is in the direction of 70 degrees to the right of where we want to end up. Crazy!

Our hull speed is 5 knots our true speed is 2,4 knots. Quite slow. So when people tell you start out 25 miles more south of your target they are not joking. 

One can rationalize their comments by saying well if we are planning to go east just put our nose more south, good thinking in logic by not in practicality. The current is so strong  that we would be faster to ride the current than to cross over and fight it. which would mean going more south if Miami. 

Here is a lesson in heeding your former sailors. What we thought would be a good wind, south east, happens o be on our nose. And embarrassingly we are motoring. Which by the way we did look at the past weeks weather and it was really our only window. I see now why a north wind would not be good. Too choppy. Atleast the boat  ride is smoothly plowing a long. 

It is warm and humid. I still have my thick Grover sweater on and jeans and ablanket. The stars are plentiful with scattered black clouds hovering. ( I now count 13 vessels around me. )

Before we left I made a nice spaghetti meal so my crew could bulk up on those carbs. I'm captain and crew and cook and bottle washer. Ha ha so is ben. He made corn beef hash from a can last night. 

A cruise ship 3 miles ahead of me just past my bow. They light up like a Christmas tree! Her name is seven seas navigator. The one 2 miles to my starboard is just passing me by on the stern. Di Tokyo is 10 miles east of me. Time for a cat nap... Just Kiddng. 

Lila is asleep in the cockpit with me. good company!

Ok I might have to tattle on those guys. They did the first shift , ben and dad (Jerry) I come up with my life jacket, tether, water bottle, granola bar and candy and here they are talkin and no life jacket or tethers. They say," we know, there is two of us and we are both awake. Now do we heed others that say ... when you least expect it a rouge wave will hit. Or is that just scare tactics? 

Right now we are in 2854 feet of water. So the chart says. Our depth finder just blinks to indicate it can't read that deep. 

I can't wait for my shift to be over cuz I'm tired. It takes me a while of days and nights sailing to get so exhausted that on my off time I actuLly sleep. I hope I move up the process this time and sleep n my next off time!

We went thru customs. The cat is good to go too. More later on customs. It was too fun. 

See ya soon. And we know who you are!
Peace
Pam