Planning arrival time around light and tides on a 420-mile run
With wind averaging 10 to 13 knots and the engine on for roughly an hour while sheltered by nearby islands, Lauren Landers Sailing works through arrival math in real time. At 6 knots average, the 420-mile passage takes just under three days, landing around 4:00 a.m., which is too early. At 5 knots it stretches to 3.5 days, likely arriving close to dark. The target is 11:00 a.m. arrival to benefit from the mid-day low tide window and maximum visibility for navigating bombies (shallow coral heads). Running at 5.5 to 6 knots with 10 knots of wind, with hopes for some 7-knot periods, is the working plan.
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