PM 24th
Well weren't we smug today. After our Orca sighting and crossing into the tropics, things went swimmingly well. Proper Spanish lunch from our honorary spaniard, Nick. Attempted fishing for Dorado (loss of trace and squid lure thingy). Successful hoist of big asymmetric cruising chute, flown as a spinnaker. Flew straight and level until sunset and opened out the miles. Then came our problems. Never leave things too late. It gets dark very quickly very early in this here parish, and we weren't ready. When it came to lowering, boy did things go wrong. We got most of the sail down but the halyard and snuffing system took great delight in tying knots at the top of the mast so that a mess of lines and haliards now decorate the forestay trapping the genoa and leaving us a tangle of loose and flapping sail around the bow and forestay. We rig the inner forestay and struggle to raise our No1 staysail which we pole out. It pulls, but not as well as the real thing and so we limp along for the rest of the night at a more sedate pace. We stare forlornly at the mess on the foredeck and wonder grimly which eejit goes up the stick tomorrow to attack the tangle aloft.
M, D, N on Raparee
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