Timshel - Cape Verde to St Lucia Day 1

Mad scramble to get ready in the morning not helped by lack of water on pontoons, still had shopping washing fruit and veg etc to do as so behind after waiting for repairs. Not organised at all. Made a complete hash of getting out of berth, no idea how you can do it with just 2 onboard under control, maybe you just have to be gung-ho (which we weren't) and ended up swept down onto "It started with a kiss", sorry guys thanks for fending us off, towed off by marineros, stopped briefly by fuel berth to check Hydravane which had been caught and twisted round, luckily it seemed OK but later found some rips in the fabric vane cover (now taped up). Crossed start line with fenders still tied on and a heap of lines in the cockpit. Boisterous sail in the sun by Santa Antao island, then fell into a hole something like the Charybidis of Greek legend I think that trapped unwary sailors, huge confused sea and the boat rolling gunnels under no wind or a little one way then another so continually gybing trying different courses desperate to find a way out - for 4 hours! Eventually got going nice reach but |I think most of the fleet had already disappeared over the horizon. Poled out yankee in the morning and sailed west in sunshine - this is what it is all about. Steve's first go as Net Controller for SSB net. Steve persuade then generator to go using trick he had been shown but then sadly whole thing blew, so no watermaker for the trip - we should have enough but will have to be a lot more careful. Maybe it will rain, but it doesn't look like it?