Gulf Stream Crossing - Fall 2013

Crew of s/v Honey Ryder has been trying to figure out how to describe the Gulf Stream crossing and quite frankly we have been struggling to come up with the right words, images, analogies.
Most everyone knows what the Gulf Stream is ...... but unless you have experienced it first hand, it's really difficult to grasp the true power of it.  One family member asked me "Well, is it the wind, the waves, the current, the weather or what?"  YES!  It's E - all of the above!  The Gulf Stream even has the capability to create it's own weather and frequently does.  It flows north for the most part but has eddies and counter currents that will bring boat speed to near stand still if you are trying to go against it.  North flowing Gulf Stream with opposing winds out of the north, make for nasty, lumpy conditions with waves from all directions.     
One analogy I thought of was this - picture a bottle of water.  Now picture one of the drink mixes you add to water - like Crystal Lite, Myo, G2, EmergenC, etc....some people open the bottle of water, open the drink mix, carefully pour it into the water bottle, replace the cap and turn it upside down once or twice - gently.  Others dump in the drink mix, replace the cap and then shake like crazy in every direction.  Now imagine a little, tiny boat in that bottle of water.  Both instances are the Gulf Stream - it just depends on the day and the conditions. 
OR = picture a swift moving, winding river that you must wade across in water up to your hips.  How would you negotiate that?

Finally I asked a few fellow Salty Dawgs and here is what they said.
"It's a washing machine, plain and simple and you are inside of it!"
"When things get bad, the waves get big and square and the come from all directions."
"It's never the same.  It's always interesting."'

Here is another account written while crossing this year.  The picture gives you somewhat of an idea of what it was like.  http://www.sail-world.com/Cruising/SH/Australian-yachts-account-of-stormy-Gulf-Stream-crossing/116518

Previous Gulf Stream crossing for us was on our passage from Norfolk to Bermuda.  We were in and out of a relatively calm Gulf Stream in less than 24 hrs.  Not so much this time.  We were dealing with it for 2 days.

So why do it?  Why cross the Gulf Stream at all?  Much like the chicken....to get to the other side....for this!