True Colours - Off Again

Position 14:48.91N 061:15.98W So Andrej left last Thursday, and Doug left this morning on a flight to Antigua.  We had a few good days in St Lucia, including hiring an APV to go round the island, visiting a nature trail and a live volcano, where we all indulge in mud baths.  At the end of the day we dropped Josh off at the airport before returning to the other end of the island. The crew is now James, Rosemary, Toby, Sarah and Nadine.  We had planned to anchor overnight, possibly in the bay at Portsmouth, Dominica, but decided it would be late when we arrived there, and ten we would be late arriving in Antigua;  so instead we plan to continue overnight, and should arrive in Antigua about 13.00 tomorrow. So fat the sea has been kind to our new crew,. read more...

True Colours - The wind returns

Position 14:38.44N 039:19.80W   Log entry 21.00 08/12/2013 – “Boring”   We motored from midday yesterday until 10.00 today, with wind varying from0 knots to 7  knots, with direction varying but generally behind.  Infairness this was in line with predictions, and we expected to keep motoringuntil possibly early evening, but  the wind filled in from the beam andwithin an hour we were reaching at 7 knots;  the wind strength anddirection have continued through the day, being consistently higher than theforecasts.  An approaching squall with winds increasing caused us to puttwo reefs in the main, but nothing stronger than 20 knots materialised, andafter it passed we shook out one and then both reefs.   During the day we were gradually overtaken by a. read more...

True Colours - Happy Together (Clue)

Position 14:35.36N 036:51.40W   For readers of this blog (assuming there are any) who are both old enoughto remember 1960s/70s hit music, and are also fond of puzzles, the subjectheader of this piece may had told you what is to come – others, you may have toread to the end.  But on to the blog...   All on board seems to be getting a bit repetitive.   Sailing through the night watches, with the wind gradually dying, until theengine went on at 02.00.  Come dawn, a breeze reappeared, enough to set theasymmetric and give a consistent 6 knots of boat speed, but then the windstarted to fade, perhaps a little earlier than we had expected, and the enginecame on again at 12.00.  Looks like we will be motoring for possiblyanother 24 hours, but after that it looks like. read more...

True Colours - Roast Beef

Position 15:04.99N 032:04.46W   This is more like it!   Firstly, for dinner a joint of Roast Beef, expertly prepared and cooked byToby.  Much debate about the cut, as it looked and tasted like brisket, butwas not a rolled joint (none of those on board to the best of the skipper’sknowledge!!)  Then after dinner the wind increased and for the first timesince leaving Sao Vicente we were able to sail through the night, and maintaineda decent speed, with the wind veering to turn the broad reach into a poled outgenoa run.   Bacon, egg, cheese and ketchup butties for brunch, again courtesy ofToby.  Sadly, that is almost the end of the meat;  after a teamsmelling session, we consigned to the deep all the remaining beef bought in LasPalmas, and are now left only. read more...

True Colours - Symmetric Sailing

Position 16:37.10N 027:16.21W   Lasagne for dinner, thanks to Nadine (biggest thanks of all from James,whose turn it was to cook, but N wanted to use some of the beef before it wentoff, so took over  - actually on reflection it may have been an act of selfpreservation;  J’s cooking skills are an unknown quantity)Last night the wind progressively died, so it was hydrogenerator up andmotor on at 01.00. It’s noticeably warmer here, no need for oilies at night and the watertemperature is up to 29.1 – seems bizarre that the water out of the watermakeris warm. Motor stayed on until about 11.00, when the wind filled in at 10 knots, andwith smooth sea and a favourable direction it was time to break out thesymmetric spinnaker for the first time.  Worked well and currently. read more...