Jasmine - Day 20

--OK we are over the finish line at 0904.08All very happy now and the last two hours as we ran down the northern shore were so lovely ,Nick on the wheel broad reaching in 20 knots on long ocean rollers and surfing . We were in company and had been seeing our fellow trans at friends turn up one by one on the radar during last night . From seeing no one for days we ended finishing with 6 or 7 other yatchs in sight funneling down on the finish line.The island is like something out of Treasure Island , lush and hilly and covered in forest . I think we will be happy here .We will all go all go now and deal with the onerous registration and passport red tape .After that , I think coffee made by some one else and served on a rock solid table .. read more...

Jasmine - Day 19

--Not in sight of land yet but other boats are beginning to appear on the horizons as we channel into our approach .We managed to identify the sea weed thats all around as sargasso seaweed ,why its so far south we cant tell . Perhaps its here all the time .More sea birds on view today but still in ones and twos , all in the gannet and booby family . The flying fish activity is intense an Bill has gottten his photos .The wind is still force 4 or 5 and we are slowing the boat beforedinner so that we arrive in St Lucia in daylight . Given the layout of the islands and the sea and wind conditions we dont want to have to kill time outside the harbour in darkness in a big and lumpy sea .Hopes are high for an easy landfall .. read more...

Jasmine - DAY 18

Today we broke the record for fish caught but not landed and three good lures gone as well , the fish are just too big I imagine. We are rolling along and did 165 miles in 24 hours and are now 237 miles from St Lucia . We haven't seen any visible signs of imminent landfall apart from a type of seaweed in the water , quite a lot of it and its catching on our fishing line . Its light green in colour and has small round berry like structures attached to a central stem . We have failed to identify it .The weather has become very humid and warm and we lost our water making ability this morning , we still have ample drinking water. The flying fish are plentiful and seem to be the type that have a double wing each side , they are very agile in the air , today we saw another masked booby but no. read more...

Jasmine - Day 16

All going well at last .We have 22 knots if breeze from the east and a following sea .Jasmine is surging along at 7.5 knots average and everything on board is working . The fridge and freezer ar both almost empty and Mike is splitting the meals into two but no one minds , we have almost completed our trip , We are all aware and alert however that last minute problems can arise .The flying fish continue to amuse us , they shoot from the water as we approach and fly off changing direction as they go and easily making 100 metres . The only one dissatisfied is Bill , hes been trying to capture them on camera for days to no avail . They always fly when hes not ready .Dodging squalls is mostly a morning and evening routine and the radar helps a lot .Given the food situation we re fishing with. read more...

Jasmine - Day 16

Today is a special day in the Hodder household with both Carol and Paul celebrating birthdays . We intend to mark the occasion with Mike by raising a glass of champagne here on board Jasmine and sending our best wishes to them just before dinner .Now we are 574 nautical miles from our destination and the forecast at last looks promising . if its correct we should carry our wind the whole way to St Lucia .Today we saw a long tailed tropic bird and it fished around the boat for awhile .We saw it dive from on high twice . Both times successfully . Unlike the gannets and the booby it hovers hawk-like before stooping .We have not been as effective at fishing . Last night Mike got something on our hand line and with great difficulty hauled it to within ten feet of the stern at which point it. read more...