8 February 2000

The passage from the San Blas Islands to the western end of the Caribbean is dead upwind. Not only that, but this time of year the winds are typically strong, and one has to round the corner of South America where Columbia and Venezuela join. The wind fans out around the coast, channeled by the mountains, so as to continually head you.

Our plan is to wait for a light spell which allows us to motor comfortably straight into the wind, or a northerly shift which gives us a good start (as opposed to the normal east-northeast winds).

The faxes from NMG in New Orleans this AM show a trough in the high pressure which means a shift is in the offing. We decide to go for a day sail to see what winds and sea state are like offshore.

Jim and Sue Corenman from Heart of Gold come along and we have a nice afternoon sail. Beowulf is able to make a comfy 10 knots at an open beating angle, and we decide to depart tomorrow, if the weather pattern looks as favorable as today.