I make it as far south as Boca Grande Key, also known as the Philosopher's Sandbar, and indeed I find myself working on another essay. But I also have plans to make it back to the Canadian Maritimes this summer, which means that it's already time to go, time to begin my journey back north. SUPPORT...

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I make my way to Key West, Florida. I notice that shore access is getting rather more tricky if you are not at a marina. When I applied for a dinghy pass at Marathon they would not issue the pass until they checked that my USCG documentation was legit. Evidently the authorities are cracking down...

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I make my way to Marathon, FL. Now that I have a place to receive mail (at the City Marina), first order of business is to replace my malfunctioning EmTrak B923 AIS transponder with the Garmin AIS 800, which has been getting good reviews. SUPPORT HOW TO SAIL OCEANS ON PATREON: https://patreon.com/user?u=12372934 HOW...

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The wind falls flat calm while I enter the Old Florida Channel. Fortunately the flooding current assists my labors with the sculling oar and takes me straight to the anchorage off of Key Biscayne. Nice. I drop anchor just before midnight, completing the passage from Bermuda in thirteen days. Following...

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With nothing but light winds and headwinds in the forecast, I decide to drop anchor in the Berry Islands, Bahamas, and wait. The patient sailor always has a fair wind, as the saying goes. In the mean time I catch up on some much needed sleep, make repairs, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. SUPPORT...

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I take in the Code 0 despite the light conditions as the GFS weather model is showing what looks like a gust front approaching. The ECMWF however shows a much more benign frontal passage. Soon I will find out. I conclude the video with a short memorial for my father. SUPPORT HOW TO SAIL OCEANS ON...

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Mixed but generally improving sailing conditions have me well on my way to the Berry Islands, Bahamas, where I will most likely anchor while I wait for favorable winds to cross the Gulf Stream to Florida. So all is well at sea, except that I receive word that my father is in critical condition and has...

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Sailing out through the Town Cut (to St. Georges, Bermuda) is generally more difficult than sailing in. This is because any wave action from outside will be pushing you into St. Georges. Though I have tacked in through the Cut, I've never attempted to tack out, always opting to wait for a fair wind....

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With boat chores completed I hop on the bus to Hamilton for some sightseeing. It's quite amazing to be walking the streets of a small but modern city sitting atop a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. I'm soon called back by that Atlantic ocean, however, by an approaching southeasterly...

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A fairly mild tempest besets me on the final night of this passage to Bermuda. A night however that is moonless and black as coal and leaves me with several electronic glitches the following morning. Mischievous devils of the Bermuda Triangle, perhaps? I clear with Bermuda Radio to enter the Town...

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It is difficult to find a fair weather window that will stay open long enough to sail to Bermuda from the US East Coast in the late fall. Your prospects tend to worsen the longer you wait. Typically you will end up departing on the tail end of a strong cold front, ride it to the Gulf Stream, and then...

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I will hunker down in Hadleys Harbor while another screamin' nor' easter blows through New England. Then it's on to Vineyard Haven for provisions and water. I discover that I have ice in my jerry cans due to overnight temperatures dropping well below freezing. I review the weather maps as my departure...

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