At noon today we are at 16 24N 060 13W sailing at 4.5 knots on a broad reach under double-reefed main and full yankee. The wind is ENE 11G16. The seas are 1m with a 2m NE swell. The air temperature is 26C, water 28C and above are scattered cumulus clouds. Our noon to noon daily run was 89nm - under-reading by at least 10%. We have 94nm to go - 116nm closer to Antigua today. Only a Fremantle-Bunbury away!
SailingGen Hydro-Generator
Yesterday afternoon saw another cloud bank appear to the NE. By 1400 it was over us and a large rain cloud was nearby. The wind died completely. After drifting along under a leaden sky for a while we turned the engine on and motored. It took 2.5 hours to find wind again, after zigging around a large rain cloud. Once back in the wind we shutdown the engine and have been sailing since.
As the sun set we were still under a lot of cloud but avoided most of the rain. By 2100 the cloud had cleared away and we then had a pleasant night under the stars with a 10G15 ENE breeze.
It was good to give the engine a run yesterday afternoon. We're not used to leaving it idle for many days on passage. The SailingGen hydro-generator has allowed that. However we have run the engine briefly every few days for two reasons. First to make sure it's still alive, and second to blast off any weed caught on the prop.
This morning we used the Iridium Go! to call Nelson's Dockyard Marina, the required initial point of contact on arrival. They advised the quarantine area is currently Freemans Bay in English Harbour, where we stayed in 2016. It'll be amazing to drop anchor there again. It will 'close the loop' on our 5+ year North Atlantic and European circuit.
Trust all's well where you are.
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