Offshore Passage to Bermuda – This Doesn’t Suck

This night is surreal.  We are 300 miles from Cape Hatteras and 350 miles from Bermuda in the middle of the ocean.  The moon is nearly full and the ocean is flat calm.  A lazy swell rolls in from the east but on top of this are only ripples from the light breeze.  The light of the moon makes a silvery, undulating streak over the surface of the ocean.  Looking toward the moon, the sky is the color of lead filled with contrasting light gray clouds.  Unfortunately, the sound of the engine disturbs this serene setting.  Above the steady background noise of the clattering diesel is the sound of the wake as Alembic’s bow pushes water aside.  No other sounds can be heard.

We are on our passage to Antigua in the eastern Caribbean.  Faced with an unusual forecast of light to no wind, we are motoring to Bermuda to refuel and then continue our passage south.  Overall, this is not a bad way to make the trip.  Leaving the east coast of the USA, it is necessary to travel east/south-east until reaching the longitude of the islands before dropping south into the trade winds that blow predictably from the east/north-east this time of year.  Sailing east this time of year typically presents a mixed-bag of weather.  Generally, it is necessary to close reach in wet easterlies or romp and roll through confused seas driven by northerly winds. The first obstacle to clear is the Gulf Stream.  We reached the Gulf Stream 24 hours after leaving Hampton, VA.  Even in the light winds that we encountered, the Gulf Stream was a washing machine of confused seas and steep faced swells.  The ocean became more settled as we cleared the axis of the stream and entered the calm seas on the south-east side of the stream 20 hours after entering this powerful ocean current.

Apart from the confused sea-state, the other sign post marking the stream is the water temperature.  Leaving the Chesapeake, the ocean temperature was a relatively cool 65 degrees.  Upon entering the gulf stream, the temperature rose first to 75 degrees and hit a high temperature of 78 degrees.  Upon exiting the stream, the warmer waters remain near the same temperature.  We have seen the last of cool nights for the foreseeable future.  In the words of a friend – “this doesn’t suck”.

Our biggest concern with this leg of the trip is having enough fuel to get us to Bermuda since there is no wind to push us along.  The total distance from Hampton to Bermuda is approximately 650 miles.  Alembic carries 100 gallons of diesel in fuel tanks and we have 20 gallons on deck in 4 Gerry cans.  All told, our range is close to 800 miles if we manage our fuel closely.  As I complete this paragraph at about 5:30 in the morning, the sun is rising and the wind is just beginning to stir.

By 5:30 we are sailing along at an easy pace.  Throughout the day the wind increases until is blowing 18 to 23 knots.  We enjoy our first sustained period of sailing on this passage.  We also get a chance to use the Hydrovane self-steering auto pilot.  The Hydrovane is a silent helmsman who needs no electricity to keep him on task.  Unfortunately, the wind only lasts about 14 hours and then we are once again becalmed and turn on the motor to keep us moving to Bermuda.

We arrive in beautiful St George Harbor at approximately 4:30 in the afternoon, 4 1/2 days after leaving Hampton, VA.  The arrival at Bermuda is friendly and efficient as Bermuda Radio contacts every boat approaching the island and coordinates their safe arrival.  We are directed to the small but neat customs dock, tie up Alembic and complete the clearance procedures within 45 min.  We anchor, launch the dinghy and taste our first Dark and Stormy at the White Horse Pub as the sun sets!