Barry,
Thank you for the kind words. I'll attempt to answer your questions below.
A question I have for such a voyage is what to do if at the half way point the weather turns really nasty. Are the long range weather forecasts in the region reliable ?
I used sailflow.com, and found the forecasts to be highly accurate. I think the science of weather modeling has improved greatly in recent years, even though it is still imperfect. My go/no-go decision was made based upon a forecast of less than what the boat and I can handle. For this trip, the forecast wave heights were 1-3 feet. If weather much worse than forecast had occurred at the mid-point it would be necessary to turn around, soldier on or divert. That decision would be based on the direction of the wind and waves.
The return trip of 128 miles in 17 hours gave you an average 7.5 mph which is a very economical speed for the R-25.
Yes, we have the Yanmar 110 HP. It uses slightly more than one gallon/hour at 6.5 knots and 1800 rpm. It will not push a fully loaded boat up onto plane in warm weather, but I run it up to exercise the turbocharger periodically and end up averaging 1.25 gallons/hour. Slower speeds also provide a more comfortable ride in lumpy conditions.
Did you use your radar during the nighttime crossing ? Any surprises during the night run ?
The radar was on part time. There were a few ships out there and a couple of other private boats making the crossing that were within VHF range. I used the radar to measure the distance, speed and relative courses of the others. While we did not make any prior arrangements to travel with anybody, it was comforting to chat briefly with the watch standers on the other boats.
The only surprise was that the current was stronger in places than I had anticipated. It was over three knots at its peak. The autopilot drove a straighter course than I can, and Cheryll did a fine job relieving me while I took a couple of naps.
My question to you is: What was your biggest concern in making this round trip ? (engine issues, medical emergency, adverse weather, etc) ?
I tried to be prepared and not concerned as much as possible. I thoroughly inspected and maintained the boat's mechanical systems in advance. I would not have left if Roam had significant issues. Cheryll and I went through the contents of our first aid kit along with the other safety equipment. We reviewed the man overboard procedures.
I suppose that there was not complete certainty as to the outcome of this, or any other boating adventure. For me, that may be part of the fun. Boating can force you to think, adapt and learn. Proper preparation kept the risks to what I personally consider a manageable level. On one hand, our risks were trivial compared to what the Cubans fleeing the island have taken in small, home-made, leaky wooden boats. On the other hand, I'm sure that what we did would have exceeded the acceptable level of risk for many others.
In the end, it worked out fine, and we are both glad for the experience. The rewards of a great adventure and the opportunity to experience a different culture far exceeded the risks that we took.
Rich
