Bermuda to Newport - Day 4

The day began with over 30kts behind us and we kept busy decreasing sail as the wind kept increasing until we had furled the jib and had three reefs in the main. We experienced over twelve hours of high winds well above what was forecasted, including hours with sustained 35-40kts. In truth it didn't seem too bad but that may be because the boat was handling the seas well, which were larger but further apart, and we were making great speed - sometimes surfing over 10kts. Plus we were expecting stormy weather in the evening so we figured things would get worse. I'll share an excerpt from our weather router's email "A pretty significant severe weather outbreak is likely...the potential for large hail, strong damaging winds and tornadoes! As this activity moves off the coast this evening some weakening is likely heading into the night, but some squalls/thunderstorms could still bring you strong wind gusts up to 50+ knots, so you'll want to be prepared for this possibility with the time frame appearing to be 7pm this evening through 3am Sunday. A significant amount of lightening is also likely along with very heavy downpours." So you can see why we were expecting things to get worse. Thankfully we encountered only one squall with moderate wind, no hail and only saw lightening in the distance. Another yacht, with whom we have been keeping in contact and at this point was 50nm behind us, saw plenty of action.

New England welcomed us with dense fog so I worshiped the radar while my captain sailed us clear of any hazards. Not only was the weather exciting - throughout the day we saw several ships, dolphins and a large group of whales just off our port-side.

The day's run was 182nm and another 20 miles this afternoon has put us safely in Newport Harbor. The trip total was 730nm taking 4-days and 3-hours, our fastest Bermuda/Newport passage to date.

We tied up along side Goat Island Marina to clear Customs & Border Protection and then refueled. We've just finished picking up a Old Port mooring for the night so we can enjoy ourselves in Newport. But first, a much needed shower!

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