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From Rum Cay to Cat Island, Bahamas on Mirage | Solo Sailing 70 Miles, Big Waves and Fast Cruising

25 March 2026 · 11 min · 3K views · Cat Island, Bahamas

Mirage sails fast across open ocean under bright sun

What this video covers

Vlad sails his Amel 50 solo from Rum Cay to Cat Island in the Bahamas, covering 67 miles in nine hours.10:35 Departing Rum Cay at 8:00 a.m. with 15 to 20 knots of wind on the beam, the vessel maintains speeds between 8.7 and 9.5 knots.3:56 The route encounters 5- to 7-meter swells with a 20-second period, which the Amel 50 handles comfortably due to the long wave length.5:33 The passage passes Conception Island, which provides a wind and swell shadow, smoothing the sea state for the remainder of the trip.6:46 Vlad navigates around Tartar Bank, a shallow 10-meter formation rising from deeper water, noting it as a source of unpredictable waves.8:40 The final 9 miles require motoring, which allows for battery charging and water production.9:55 Upon arrival at Cat Island, the crew observes a more active settlement compared to the quiet, declining infrastructure of Rum Cay.10:56

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Boats in this video

Amel 50Their boat

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