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Free & BrEasy - Gathering the Flock



A casual observer of the progress of the World ARC fleet from Cape Town, as viewed through the lens of our Yellow Brick satellite tracking system, might wonder why the fleet gradually dispersed across the Southern Atlantic Ocean and are now converging again on Grenada in the Caribbean. Some boats did not go to Salvador or Fortaleza in Brazil, while many left early from these ports and are already in Grenada. We were one of the last to leave Salvador but as we did not go to any of the Brazilian islands, we left early from Fortaleza and should be in Scarborough, the main port of Tobago, by late afternoon on Sunday 8th March. For once we are not at the back of the fleet. We were tempted to go straight up to St Lucia and claim line honours for the whole circumnavigation but then we remembered the World ARC motto "It's a rally not a race!"

Free & Breasy has been sailing in the fast lane. It's as though she knows we are approaching the finishing line and has found breath to increase speed down the final furlong. We have experienced consistent excellent winds (18-25 kts on the beam) with a favourable current which has swept us past the coasts of Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela. Despite some days of rough seas we still managed a few days when we travelled 200+ nautical miles each day, though the ride has been a little uncomfortable. We have been exposed to continuous cat thumping's and banging's, characteristics of catamarans in disturbed seas but Free & Breasy has treated them with disdain like the lady she is! Unfortunately her crew have found sleeping to be more of a problem, further exasperated when Marco's hatch started leaking and dripping water on his face!

A little bit of disturbed sleep is the excuse for burning the Shepherd's Pie and Plum Crumble! The evening meal is an important occasion which we all look forward to during the day with keen appetites. Sometimes you realise that the last 30 minutes of a watch has been spent fantasising about food. For a perfect meal, the only thing that was needed was to build the crumble, put the two dishes in the oven and not to fall asleep, awakening to burnt offerings! Cleaning the carbonised food off the dishes using sea water was another new experience.

Our plan is to spend a few days in Tobago, "The Bird of Paradise Island" and then complete the short day sail up to Grenada in the middle of next week. Tobago is at the end of the Caribbean Archipelago and somewhat difficult to get to from the north due to unfavourable current and wind directions. As we are approaching from the south this gives Roger a chance to realise a visit he has long planned.

The arrival at Tobago will mark the end of the 1650 nm trip from Salvador, the last long passage of the circumnavigation. We will then join all the other World ARC boats who are gathering in Grenada like sheep in a flock, for the last Rendezvous before St Lucia and the end of the circumnavigation. Do old circumnavigators ever finish when they put the anchor down or is part of them forever sailing the high seas? We will let you know!


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