Bahamas --> Panama, Days 1-3

Day 1, 2/23/2014: SE winds 10-15 and SE swell at 3'-4' with 1' chop impeded our progress along our SE course. It was a beautiful day for sailing but the headwinds and head-seas made us tack back & forth a few times; we made only 75 mi. good in 24 hrs.
Day 2, 2/24: Same wind & sea conditions. Had to make 20 mi. further E by motor-sailing from Long Is., Bahamas, toward W side of Crooked/Acklins island group at 1200-1600 rpm until we had a southerly sailing angle to aim for Windward Passage some 200 mi. S.
Day 3, 2/25: midnight to dawn gave good sailing angle w/ more easterly winds at 10-15 knots. Rain showers at sunrise made a spectacular full-arc rainbow over the sea. Wind clocked back from E to S & dropped during day to 5-10 knots as we came abeam of W side of Great Inagua Is., Bahamas. Boat's speed over ground reduced from 6 to 3 knots/hr. At lunchtime we are about 50 mi. N of Windward Passage.
m