Namani at Sea

Slipped our lines in Port Antonio at 11:30 this morning and are now about 20 nm south of Jamaica's south eastern corner. Beautiful sailing conditions, running downwind in 15kn of wind under a twistle-rigged genoa and clear starry skies. Our friend Bill arrived in Jamaica yesterday and joins us for this leg to Panama - we're very happy to have him aboard! We thoroughly enjoyed our short stay in Jamaica and think Port Antonio must be among the most under-rated cruising destinations in the Caribbean. Very friendly people in a beautiful setting.

It's been almost 3,000 nm since we set sail from Portland on 02SEP and we have covered the full length of our NW Atlantic Chart (see bright blue line in picture above) - time for a little recap.

Safely arrived in Port Antonio, on Jamaica's NE coast this morning at 07:30 am. Now waiting for customs and immigration to visit the boat and clear us in. Update to follow...

PS: Quarantine, customs and immigration did visit - see picture above... very friendly and helpful

.. about 65 nm to go to Jamaica. Still beautifully broad reaching under poled out genoa at 6 kn under starry skies - what else can we ask for...

Just passed Cuba to our right and are now sailing on an easy broad reach under a beautifully clear and starry sky. Nicky is asleep in the cockpit and all is well...

After enjoying our solitude at Mayaguana for five days, we weighed anchor yesterday (Tue) afternoon, intending to stop at Great Inagua Island, 90 nm south, before heading though the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola and on towards Jamaica. However, when checking the weather forecast this morning, we decided to pass Great Inagua by and and we are now on our way to Jamaica, where we hope to arrive sometime on Friday. After some lumpy seas last night between Mayaguana and Great Inagua we're now enjoying an easy beam reach towrads the Windward Passage under blue skies.

Dropped the hook about noon today, in Abrahams's Bay off Mayaguana - an unbelievably undeveloped place for an official port of entry to the Bahamas - very beatiiful. Logged just over 800 nm from Charleston, SC and it was a hard slog, essentially sailing close hauled ever since we came out of the main axis of the Gulf Stream last Saturday. Everything is solidly salt coated from constant spray and waves over bow - so we hope for some rain squalls tonight to clean things up.

Making good progress but have been beating to windward pretty much ever since we left the Gulf Stream. Good for speed, bad for comfort. .. it did however also produce Namani's best ever 24hr run at 152nm (that tells you how slow we usually go ...).. Now we hope to make landfall either in Mayaguana tomorrow (if wind permits sufficient easting) or Great Iguana on Friday morning (both in the SE Bahamas). A bit tired, but all is well aboard... stay tuned...

After slow progress yesterday in SE winds and a west setting current, we're now making good progress, hoping to reach the SE Bahamas on Thursday. All is well aboard.... stay tuned...

Crossed the Gulf Stream today, motorsailing in light winds... a few eddies to the east of the stream which we'll hopefully get around... temperatures have picked up again... all is well aboard, Nicky now sleeps in the cockpit (with life jacket and tether), so he can see the stars and the moon... stay tuned