La Contenta - Day 22: The final countdown8 knots.

Day 22: The final countdown

We are almost there! We should reach land within the next 24 hours. After being becalmed for all of those days we are now flying along in strong winds, large seas and squalls. We are well reefed down with our current wind speed at 28 knots and 5 meter swells. Its a wild night. We have had some hideous squalls with the wind increasing to 44 knots. I hold Ewen partly responsible as he did say at the beginning of our crossing that he wanted ‘The full Atlantic experience!’ Land is looking a welcome option. Especially since we are now out of tea bags.

To balance the the moon is almost full and lighting up the sky and the ocean. Its brightness is obliterating the stars but casting its liquid silver on the sea. It’s truly beautiful.

We have put together some of our statistics from our crossing:

23 Days at sea

2800 Miles sailed so far

120 Miles to go

0 Engine hours

1 granddaughter born

6 days becalmed

2 bouts of force 9 wind

Max wind gust 46 knots

Max boat speed 11 knots

Minimum daily mileage (24 hours) 2

Maximum daily mileage (24 hours) 160

1 whale

1 pod Minke whales

3 pods dolphins

2 turtles

Numerous and various seabirds and flying fish

2 fish hooked and jumped line

1 fish caught and returned to the sea

9 lures lost or taken

8 meters reinforced steel line lost

Marigold glove lure caught more fish than professional fish lure

1 boat song

1 bottle of rum

4 swims mid Atlantic

1 skinny dip mid Atlantic

2 rivets lost from main vang

1 bow thruster needing repair

1 main halyard replaced

3 sails needing repair

4 smiling sailors



ARC information (that we are aware of)

1 boat sank

I boat dis-masted

1 boat with broken rigging

2 boats with rudder failure

Numerous boats called into the Cape Verde Islands for extra fuel

1 boat sailed on single handed after his crew member crew was taken to Martinique for medical help

So our final countdown to land is underway. Soon these rollers and ocean moods will become just memories. Very special memoires. We will all have joined the crossed over club!