4 of my sailing buddies are at sea north of the Dominican Republic,
tonight aboard another sailing buddy's Jeanneau 40DS "Dress Parade" as
part of the Caribbean 1500 fleet, sort of, headed North. Most of the
fleet is in Bermuda, having left Saturday, but other boats left at
different times, Dress Parade the last to leave.

She has a satellite transponder aboard, as do all the boats, so we can
keep an eye on her over the horizon on the net at:

http://caribbean1500.com
Click on Click Here for positions of the boats.
Then click "Map Showing Cruising Class" and pick Dress Parade from the
list and the software will zoom in on their last reported position from
the transponder. At 21:11:29 she was at 21-02-33.03N by 68-40-34.49W and
making good time.

I talked to her on an Iridium satphone that belongs to yet another
sailing friend and they were having a great time about 7PM. They lost
the bottom over the massive trench and reported dragging the bottom was
NOT an issue...(c;

I already have a "service list" of things that need doing after she
arrives at her slip at The Harborage At Ashley Marina.....(c;

Weather looks good:
ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A 1021 MB SURFACE HIGH IS LOCATED JUST SE OF BERMUDA NEAR
31N64W. THIS HIGH ENVELOPS THE BAHAMAS...FLORIDA AND THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO. ANOTHER 1025 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER NEAR 33N31W
EXTENDS A RIDGE OVER THE E ATLC GIVING THE AREA MOSTLY FAIR
WEATHER. ALOFT...BROAD UPPER TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE W-CENTRAL
ATLC BETWEEN 50W AND 75W DIPPING S INTO THE CARIBBEAN SEA
THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT ENTERS
THE AREA NEAR 31N49W THEN CONTINUES SW AND THEN W TO NEAR
25N63W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 200 NM AHEAD OF THE FRONT
AND N OF 25N. THE REMAINDER OF THE ATLC IS DOMINATE BY AN UPPER
RIDGE ANCHORED SE OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS NEAR 10N20W. THE
SAHARAN AIR LAYER PRODUCT FROM CIMSS SHOWS THAT DUST CONTINUES
TO STREAM OFF THE W AFRICAN COAST S OF 20N AND COVERS THE
TROPICAL ATLC WESTWARD TO THE LESSER ANTILLES WHERE THERE ARE
SEVERAL REPORTS OF HAZE. TRACES OF SAHARAN DUST WERE ALSO
VISIBLE ACROSS THE PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TODAY.

The front should be out of the way long before they get there.

Everyone aboard owns their own yachts and have years at sea offshore....