Yesterday with VIP guests we cast lines at 10:30 am, and headed out of Government Cut for a daysail. Sailing east with light winds from the southeast and head seas we made only 2 to 3 knots boat speed at 50 degrees apparent. Falling off to 80 or 90 degrees provided higher speed. Charmed sails comfortably about half wind speed in close to broad reaching conditions, when being set by a head sea. Boat speed falls to a third of wind speed when Charmed points to 35 or 40 degrees apparent against head seas. Once winds strengthened to 9 knots or better we were able to point 55 degrees apparent or better against the seas and make half wind speed. Charmed plows along on train tracks.
After finding the edge of the Continental Shelf and having depth exceed the limit of the Raymarine instrument at about 500 feet we turned back toward Miami. With the light winds and following seas, we were able to easily sail 40 degrees apparent and make half wind speed. In winds 6, 7, 8 knots we were able to comfortably run downwind, with boat speed only 2 knots, but with jib filled. When the wind gets to 10 knots, Charmed will make 6 knots in any direction from about 40 to 160 degrees apparent, with fair seas. Above 10 knots performance just gets better.
Our sail ended after dodging a huge Maersk container ship who wanted Government Cut the same time as us, and after learning the Main Channel is sometimes closed to recreational vessels without securites or some other warning except a police boat zooming at you when enter it.
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