dispatch 2 March 0800

When I furled the genoa and turned into the wind my speed dropped from 5 kts down to about 3.5 kts, so I will not sleep in Atwood Harbour tonight. But that's OK because there has been a change in plan.
  You are getting a powerful cold front in the next day or so. That cold front will go all the way down to Cuba, Hispanolia, etc. and will bring me very bad weather, from the north. Atwood is open to the north so it is not a good choice. There is an anchorage in Mayaguana which has excellent protection from the north. Instead of stopping in Acklin I will plan to keep going to Mayaguana. I have been there before, and I did not like it because it is open to the south west, but for my needs I look forward to it now.
  It is 90 nm there. If I can maintain 3.0 kts I can do it in 30 hours, and put me there about  noon Sat. The front is expected Sunday, and may gale force wind many days, maybe a week. I got wind of it (hee hee) yesterday morning and that is one reason I made the hasty departure.
  To be honest, the boat is very uncomfortable. I am going straight into the wind so the trisail would not stabilize the boat any. It is bouncing wildly. The engine is at max cruising RPM, loud. Between waves the boat picks up speed to maybe 4.5 kts, then hits a series of waves and comes almost to a stop, maybe 1.5 kts, with lots of splashing, pitching and wallowing. But all I have to do is hang on and hope things like the engine and autopilot hold up. The wind is only about 12 kts, so I think that this is still the right weather window to grab, but, zounds! the sea is bumpy.  I am glad I filled with fuel yesterday. And in a few days I look forward to being glad I also filled with ice.
  By noon I will know how my progress is. I'll try to give an update then.
Bill Doar