After a frantic few days of making lists Raparee has been switched off for the first time in 4 months and left quietly to herself alongside at Rodney Bay. Our wayward travels have been switched to Australian yacht Felicity J, a Dufour 385, which needs to get to the Panama Canal in time to meet the weather windows for her Pacific passage to Australia.
After waiting for a front to pass through and the swell to drop, we departed Rodney Bay at 1600 on Wednesday 18th. I am acting skipper for the owners wife, Merry Houghton from Sydney, and her two crew, Tom Ellyatt from Devon, and Ian Smith from New Zealand. Our trip to Panama will take about 10 days but once there we may need to wait several days before a transit slot becomes available.
Passage so far has been pretty good trade-wind sailing. Boomed out and preventered rolling along at 6 knots in a 17 knot breeze. We are constantly on the lookout for squall clouds on the horizon as these can send the wind up to 30 knots very quickly. Spinnaker up sometimes if not too rolly. Yesterday got a twist upon lowering and took until after dark to unsnarl. Broke spinnaker pole end in the process. Poled out again today with jury rigged pole. Visited by playful dolphins this morning, first for a long time, while a large slick of seaweed had Merry shouting ‘Whales!’ this afternoon.
This Caribbean sea is a huge place. We are now 275 miles west of St Lucia and there is nothing within 100’s of miles around us. No islands, ships, rocks, planes, fish. Even the sea bed is 5000 metres below.
Australian sailing food is very good and Merry has us well looked after, so diets required when we get in.
Still trying for fish. We had a big bite today, big enough for the line to burn Tom’s fingers, but the bugger got away with the trace.
Thats it for the mo. Nothing more exciting. Back later. Cap’n Miguel O’Buggins.
After waiting for a front to pass through and the swell to drop, we departed Rodney Bay at 1600 on Wednesday 18th. I am acting skipper for the owners wife, Merry Houghton from Sydney, and her two crew, Tom Ellyatt from Devon, and Ian Smith from New Zealand. Our trip to Panama will take about 10 days but once there we may need to wait several days before a transit slot becomes available.
Passage so far has been pretty good trade-wind sailing. Boomed out and preventered rolling along at 6 knots in a 17 knot breeze. We are constantly on the lookout for squall clouds on the horizon as these can send the wind up to 30 knots very quickly. Spinnaker up sometimes if not too rolly. Yesterday got a twist upon lowering and took until after dark to unsnarl. Broke spinnaker pole end in the process. Poled out again today with jury rigged pole. Visited by playful dolphins this morning, first for a long time, while a large slick of seaweed had Merry shouting ‘Whales!’ this afternoon.
This Caribbean sea is a huge place. We are now 275 miles west of St Lucia and there is nothing within 100’s of miles around us. No islands, ships, rocks, planes, fish. Even the sea bed is 5000 metres below.
Australian sailing food is very good and Merry has us well looked after, so diets required when we get in.
Still trying for fish. We had a big bite today, big enough for the line to burn Tom’s fingers, but the bugger got away with the trace.
Thats it for the mo. Nothing more exciting. Back later. Cap’n Miguel O’Buggins.
_____
Sent by satellite phone from onboard 'Felicity J'
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