17 days into our voyage today. We expected to
be in St Lucia
by now when we were preparing for this trip, which has been slower than we
expected due to the light winds for the first 4 days and the need to go 300
miles further than the great circle route. (Tuesday morning) we
took a wave over the bow – a rogue, I guess – and it came in
through some of the portholes which are left open in good weather for
ventilation, the temp. being about 30 degrees C. So today we will look like a
Chinese laundry as we dry out our wet bedding. No harm done though. Today is
very dark with squall showers all about so it could be a day of reef –
unreef – reef again ! This morning is a happy one though because we have
less than 1000 nm to go, and it is Bacon Buttie morning – Fried egg,
bacon and tomato in a buttered roll ! We do this every couple of days for
a treat and it lifts morale greatly. All fresh food otherwise is now gone
and we are improvising with making exciting meals with tins and other bits and
bobs – a bit like Ready Steady Cook without the ingredients ! From
now on we expect to make 150 nm per day getting us into St Lucia late
Tuesday 13th. The deadline for the rally is the 18th
so we are well in on that target. Last night we caught a huge dorado
– a beautiful mackerel like fish with rainbow markings. Unfortunately for
us he chewed through the line just as he was being hauled on deck. We now
see that you need a wire bridle on the lure to stop this happening so next time
we do the ARC we will know better! In fact there are many things you learn and
no amount of reading makes up for doing it. I must write them all down and pass
them on at a talk at the yacht club back in home in Dublin. No point in getting others to
re-invent the wheel. The trade winds are truly settled in now and we spoke to
“Herb” last night about the weather. He is our weather guru in Ontario ~Canada
who does us a forecast every day and reads it to us on SSB short wave radio. He
does this for up to 50 boats every evening and does not charge anything –
amazing! That’s all for now folks. From all of us on Blue Fox, take
care of yourselves and we will do the same. There is still a lot of water
between us and our destination – the distance say, from Dublin
to Lisbon and
yet we think we are almost there with over 2000 miles already gone. David just
told me 937.7 nm to go at 1000 hours, Tuesday. Bye for now and wrap up
well . We don’t need to!
Ps last night the crew on deck had an impromptu
shower when it started to pour with rain – horizontal stuff at about 1900
hrs local and Liam Lalor ran down below and shut the forehatch “to
stop water coming in “ !! When we opened it again 10mins later the
4 on deck were soaked but at least we can save on showers today!
Signing off at 14 33 N 44 49 W 1000 hours Tuesday 7th.
John Leahy. Chief bottlewasher.
i
