Hi Mark,

...I was there around Christmas, and again for another week or so in January, and it was damn cold, but not anything close to that... Probably the coldest day I've sailed in, was the morning I left NJ about 4 years ago in late January, it was -4 that morning, probably got up to 8 or 10 by the time I actually got underway, and down into the single digits again that first night... However, I must say, it seemed my first night offshore when I headed south this December I rate as one of the coldest nights I have ever spent under sail, even though the temps were still around 20... Wind was blowing hard, of course, but it just seemed brutally cold that night, I'm just getting old, I guess... (grin) At any rate, I'm nowhere close to the guy on SHIVA, he sounds like he's in a class by himself...

Just to be clear, I have nothing against anyone who uses Chris' service, but for the type of cruising I did this winter, I just don't see the need for it, for me... However, if I were to be delivering a boat from Tortola back up to the Northeast US this spring, I would engage his routing services in a heartbeat... I just find it interesting the extent to which he appears to dictate people's movements in the Bahamas, coupled with the herding instinct prevalent among some - indeed, I would even say many - cruisers down there (grin)... Understandable, to some extent, as he is virtually the sole source of comprehensive broadcast WX info in that area available, but I'm still always a bit surprised by it, I must say it's a phenomenon I don't see anywhere else I have cruised, elsewhere people seem to be a bit more independent in their decision-making and evaluation of the weather...

BTW, don't be so sure I wouldn't like your boat, either (grin) Personally, I don't ever see myself in a cat, but there's obviously a lot to like about them, especially for the islands and a place like the Bahamas... I continue to be amazed at how popular they've become, in several anchorages where I was this winter multis easily outnumbered monohulls... One thing is for damn sure, the overwhelming number of people out there would be far happier aboard a boat like yours than, say, a boat like mine... (grin)

You guys certainly picked the right winter to be heading east, sounds like you've had some great sailing... Hope the favorable pattern continues, enjoy...

best regards,

Jon