On our last passage from Puertobello to Bocas Del Toro we had 35 gusting to 40 all night. We had 2 reefs in the main and about 6 feet of headsail out. Fortunately the wind was just behind the beam. The swells built to 10 feet and more and we were making way to our landfall at 8.5 knots. When we left I hadn't planned on that speed. I wanted to slow the boat down but couldn't. We needed sails up for some stability but the fact is that we were going to reach our island destination at 3:30 AM at that speed. We arrived before first light and had to hang offshore in the lee of the island before I could see enough to know that the anchorage was untenable. We moved on another 5 hours to a quieter bay.

I think it great to go fast but when you have that much wind you ( or at least I ) don't want speed. I want comfort and a stable boat. 8.5 knots is fast enough. I would rather have had 6 and started thinking we could have towed warps to slow us down.

Funny, that 40 hour passage turned out to be the best sail we ever had and the worst sail we ever had. The day was pure magic. The night was hell.

Good thing is that the boat didn't care about the bad weather. It was us that suffered.

in 35 to 40 I don't want speed. It's the 7 to 10 where we need a boost.

Photo, before sunset with a double reefed main and a handkerchief for a head sail. No swells at all yet. It was fun, then the swells built and it got dark. Not fun.