30+ Knots TWS. Cape Hatteras. No Turning Back.

Forecasts didn’t agree… and the ECMWF model ended up about 10 knots light compared to what we actually saw on the way north to Cape Hatteras. Looking back, we would’ve played it differently—getting out of the Gulf Stream much earlier and hugging the shoreline to cut down the fetch. But it’s hard to give up that push when you’re watching the miles tick by. We did reef early—and then again—but in hindsight, a third reef would’ve been the right call. One thing that worked surprisingly well: firing up the engines—not for speed, but for control. Keeping the bows from rounding up into the waves made a huge difference and dramatically reduced the pounding on the port side. Sometimes you get it right… sometimes you learn the hard way. #Sailing #CapeHatteras #GulfStream #HeavyWeather #Catamaran #OffshoreSailing