DATE:2018-11-18 04:30Z
TITLE: ARC+ LEG1 DAY 7
LOCATION: 17:33 024:35
AUTHOR: RICHARD ROWLEY
It's now 04:30 in the morning of the 7th and last day of this leg from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to Minedelo, Sao Vincente, Cape Verde. Our destination is now only 45nm ahead of us and there is land only 35nm off of our starboard bow. Although I cannot make out any land mass in the darkness ahead I can quite clearly make out lights on land. By the time dawn breaks in another two and a half hours we should be able to see land clearly.
After days with out seeing another vessel our AIS is showing 2 other sailing yachts converging on the same waypoint, I cannot actually see their lights at the moment but I expect we shall them soon, and I expect to see more as we approach our waypoint and the finish line.
The sea state is quite calm with the swell although 2-3m is at such a frequency (12secs) so as not to cause us any concern. It is quite strange as sometimes you cannot feel any movement on the boat then she will rise and roll for a moment or two then go back to being still for a few seconds. the motion is quite pleasant and relaxing.
When I came on watch at 03:00 the moon was just setting to the west and now with it gone it is pitch black out there, with just the faint glow of the lights ashore ahead of us and the stars above, not to mention the odd shooting star and the sparks of green bio-luminescence in our wake.
We have been motoring now for the last couple of days (250nm or so), with the wind NNE F2-3 which is not enough to move us through the water downwind fast enough for us to sail and arrive in Mindelo in time for the start of the next leg to St. Lucia.
Our ETA for Mindelo is about 12:00 UTC today 18th November 2018, We hope that there will be some wind so we sail over the finish line. Although we shall arrive before the official time because of the amount of miles we have had to motor i expect a result of dnf...but so be it...we are not a racing boat just a few friends have a bit of fun and the adventure of a lifetime and in need of a cold beer.
Yacht Cerulean of Penryn
Ventis Secundis