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The Gulf Stream Crossing

sailawayblog
Jan 1, 2016
5 min read

The Gulf Stream crossing is considered one of the most challenging passages, by some of the saltiest sailors in the world, revered by many as dangerous and unpredictable... and it sure didn't let us down!

The Gulf Stream is a powerful, warm and swift Atlantic current which originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the US before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It ranges from 30 to 60 miles wide, where the sea reaches nearly 4,000 feet in depth. This passage has gained notoriety because the current, combined with the wind, can create staggeringly large waves, taller than a house in the worst conditions. However in the best weather conditions, the Gulf Stream is flat as your backyard pond, which is why waiting for the right weather window is key to a safe and successful crossing.

It was a Tuesday in early December that Ben and I finally got the good weather report we were needed in order make the voyage from Key Biscayne, just outside Miami, to Bimini in the Bahamas. According to our favorite weatherman, Chris Parker, the window was 2 days of East/Southeast winds, 10-15 knots, with 3-5 foot seas... nearly ideal for this journey.

Weeks had passed waiting for the opportunity to make this crossing, and we could hardly believe the big day was upon us. Ben and I went to bed that evening feeling like kids on Christmas Eve with our spirits high!

On that Tuesday in December, Ben, Ruca and I woke up at 4 in the morning with huge smiles on our faces, and butterflies in our stomachs! It was time to get start our departure checklist and get this SHOW ON THE ROAD!

Because the Gulf Stream is too dangerous to tow our inflatable dinghy, we removed the motor and stowed it on the mount in the cockpit, and lifted the dinghy onto the deck of the boat with the spinnaker halyard. Then, we charted our perfect course, with a heading slightly south of the intended destination, to allow the Gulf Stream to carry us north with its current, at about 2.5 knots. Lastly, we did a final check of our systems and made sure our emergency gear was working and available. With everything a "go", S/V Wanderlust set off for the Bahamas with the sun rise. Only 50 miles, straight into the wind, lie between us and our port of entry at Cat Cay.

Once underway, it didn’t take long for us to realize that seas were higher than predicted.... 2-4 feet higher than predicted. Although it was the roughest conditions we’d ever experienced with Wanderlust, we knew she had been through it before and worse, and found security in knowing we were aboard a sturdy, heavy, reliable boat. We smashed through wave after wave, hearing a hard crash with each. Seawater sprayed into the cockpit and coated our faces with salt. Although it was rough, we were enjoying the adventure, and trusted our boat. We felt so alive! we were sailing, OUR BOAT, in international waters, on the start of our long-awaited sailing adventure!

Then, as we lost sight of Miami. Ben noticed one of our gas jugs on deck was loose. I took the helm while Ben strapped on his emergency gear, and headed up towards the bow of the boat. He found the jerry jug was fine, but our second anchor, a 60 pound CQR, had broken free from the anchor platform and was hanging from the tip of the bow by a short rope, smashing into the fiberglass hull with each wave. Our stomachs dropped, and adrenaline began to pump in our veins. Ben's eyes met mine from the bow of the boat as if to say, "What now?"

We were too far to turn back, and quite literally in the middle of the stream with no other boats in sight. I ran below to check to see if the anchor had actually punctured the hull, causing us to take on water, but thankfully it hadn't... yet We could see that the damage was worsening with each huge crashing wave, so we had to get that anchor secured back on deck, and quickly. I suggested cutting the anchor line, letting the anchor sink to the bottom of the sea, calling it a loss. But Ben disagreed, since our second anchor is high quality and a good asset. We would need it in upcoming rough weather anchoring in the remote Bahamian islands and likely wouldn't be able to find another one easily in the Bahamas.

Ben climbed to the bow, tethered with his harness and life jacket, and tried to lift the anchor by hand, amid the 7 foot seas, but the awkwardness of the position of the anchor, resistance from the sea and momentum from each wave made it impossible to lift by hand.

Then, Ben’s face turned grey-green, and most inopportunely, he became very seasick. He yanked the anchor with all his might between bursts of retching overboard. I know he wanted to quit, and I wanted to help, but, the truth is that I could not have taken his place to lift the anchor in those conditions. He had to continue, and we both knew it. After at least an hour of pure hell, Ben was able to connect the halyard to the remaining anchor line, and lift it using a mast winch. Finally, he lifted the anchor over the rails, and secured it on deck.

After we were able to get back under way, Ben came back to the cockpit, collapsed into the cushions, and slept for the next 3 hours. I was happy to helm the rest of the journey with a smile on my face, grateful we'd resolved our first disaster at sea.

After 10 hours at sea, and an hour of waiting on the dock for customs in Cat Cay, the S/V Wanderlust crew were cleared through Bahamian customs, Finally, Ruca could go on a walk. The poor girl had stayed put all day in the cockpit during the roughest seas we had ever experienced, and had held it all day!

As the sun set, we raised our Bahamian flag up the mast, a 3 month cruising permit in hand. Although we were at the end of our ropes, raising the Bahamian flag was a huge achievement. It signified that we had navigated international waters for the first time on our vessel. We were feeling capable, proud, and satisfied with ourselves and our wonderful boat. Wiping caked salt from our faces, we pushed on, to find Honeymoon Harbor, a safe, queit place to finally rest, under a beautiful black sky and a blanket of stars.