8. Mexico to The Bahamas

As we head first north and then east out of Isla Mujeres for the over 500 nautical mile passage to The Bahamas we will have to make a number of navigation decisions. We are beginning to enter the latitudes where the trade winds begin to weaken and where weather coming off of the American continent has a significant effect. This coupled with the Gulf Stream will make for dynamic weather conditions. We expect the weather to still be fairly tropical, but a chillier system could descend on us.
The majority of this passage will be an upwind sail as we push East towards the Bahamas. It will be a great trip to practice how to effectively gain miles to windward in the open ocean and what sail plans work for this purpose. It is a great sense of freedom to be able to sail a cruising boat to windward, and one that will open up many secluded anchorages for you to enjoy. We will have the usual navigation challenges, like squalls and shipping, on this trip, and will also be contending with a 1 or 2 knot current from the Gulf Stream. It should be a nice boost to hurry us along to the gin-clear waters of the Bahamas, one of our favorite cruising grounds!