Day 6 - Bahamas to Bermuda

Stravaig'n the Blue
Sat 30 Apr 2022 14:30
Position: 32:02.25 N 065:17.9 W (30NM WSW Gibbs Hill Light)
Position timestamp: Saturday 30 April 2022  09:00 (UTC-4 / EDT)
Distance travelled in last 24 hours: 160 NM at an average speed of 6.7 knots
Reduction in distance to destination: 153 NM
Remaining distance to destination: 39 NM

Progress-wise, the last 24 hours were the best of the passage: 160 NM sailed with almost all (153NM) reducing the distance still to go. We expect to be in St George’s harbour before 6pm local time which may mean clearing Customs tomorrow morning.

The wind has been 16 - 22 knots, occasionally as much as 28, from the northwest and the seas have been three to four meters since yesterday’s report.

Bermuda isn’t yet in sight, even when we are on the crest of a wave, but we’ve been listening to Bermuda Radio (marine operations, not the request show) since about 6am. The radio’s very English sounding operator has been contacting vessels as they approach the island, checking boat details, crew health status and directing them to the Customs dock or quarantine anchorage as appropriate. I find it astonishing that so many of the vessels (about 50%) haven't bothered to pre-register their arrival or boat safety information and haven’t obtained covid-related Travel Authorisations for crew members. It seems to me highly irresponsible and somewhat disrespectful to set off into the blue yonder without first checking the situation and entry requirements for your destination.

Just before 3am our chartplotter started showing another vessel, the 30 meter long Rambler 88, 12 NM behind us. If my memory serves me correctly, and I’ll check when we get in, Rambler 88 was an entrant in last year’s Fastnet race and did particularly well. In the dark Rambler 88 was doing 8 knots to our 7 but at daybreak she must have set some more canvas and she tanked past us at 7am, two miles to the south, doing 12 knots. I was asleep so Linda snapped a few grainy shots just to show me I hadn’t missed much.

Now you see Rambler 88.


Now you don’t (unless you look very hard).



All is well.

Allan