Bamarandi - Friday 27th November - New crew member "M" flies in it join Bamarandi

An uneventful afternoon was followed by an uneventful night with a few drops of rain on the 10pm to 2am watch and some heavy black threatening clouds that sent people down for their waterproofs that eventually came to nothing on the 2 other watches through the night. We have been stopping and reversing our port engine periodically to help control the vibration.

The gull that had been flying along with us came back mid afternoon and again circled round and round the boat looking at us and seemingly trying to make a few attempted landings. 

There are gulls right out here in Mid Atlantic but they are all long winged gliding dark coloured gulls that sweep effortlessly along a few inches above the waves catching the occasional flying fish that have now returned in their hundreds. This bird looks like an Egret and is the flapping wing to fly variety with an occasional glide thrown into the mix. 

After circling the boat for some while and starting to look tired it made a couple of attempted landings on our solar panels - only to slide off. Eventually it managed to land on some of the line that carries the traveller for the boom across the rear of the flybridge. It hunkered down out of the wind behind the seating and stayed there quite contentedly - seemingly nonchalant to all our comings and goings but clearly keeping a wary eye out. Eventually after some preening it put its head under its wing and went to sleep for the night. 

Our nearest land is probably Barbados, now some 400nm away so ‘M' (Mid Atlantic) is a long way from anywhere other than us and the other ARC+ boats in the fleet. 

Around 9am she perked up and did what birds do after waking up - on one of our solar panels - and then hopped onto the roof of the bimini over the flybridge. Then off into the distance and not seen since despite the offer on the rear roof of 4 freshly cooked prawns from Audrey before departure.

We have moved the clocks back an hour again today so our distance of 191nm is over 25 not 24hrs. We cannot see any other boats around us or on the AIS system. We are alone.

We have been emailing back and forth with Lir our sister boat egging them on to get to the front. They tell us they lost their autopilot completely 455nm ago so will have been working hard at the helm to keep the boat on track. 

It is a lovely sunny warm day and we have all been sitting on the flybridge at various times. The swell has been varying slightly and right now is still behind us probably at 6’ - 10’ height. Bamarandi has perfected stern in the air riding down the waves, bow in the air riding up them again as have all of us.  Plates of food carrying trips to the flybridge being in tune with the boat movements is a must!

We reckon we have around 3 days to go now and will arrive at St Lucia around lunchtime on Monday 3rd where we will stay overnight only and then head off up to Antigua, another 24hr sail.  

Everyone on board is fine and wondering if M will return for lodgings again tonight!