Ca Canny - Day 4- Finding a Solution

We woke up today disappointed that our problem did not miraculously fix itself. From the limited research we have been able to do and our own brainstorming, we had been left with only one solution: that someone would need to go up the mast. This can be daunting even in the still of a marina, never mind out in the Atlantic. Alan (skipper) insisted that he be the one to go up, even though he is 74 years old, a decision that didn't go down very well with his daughter (me). But up the mast he went, as we watched nervously and tried to shout to him, telling him where he could place his feet or hands for more stability. The further up he got the more he started to swing side to side, the motion becoming more powerful as he went, and with less things he could grab onto to keep still. Once he got about 4/5ths of the way up he had to call it off. Above him there was nothing to hold onto other than the mast itself, and the motion was too much for him to be able to get up and down safely. When he got down we all sat at the table and discussed what our next plan would be. We have decided that the only way we can fix this problem is in calmer conditions, much calmer, which we might not see in the ocean, so we need to start heading towards the Cape Verde Islands, in the hope that we can find a bay or marina and sort out the sails there quickly and resume our journey. This is obviously less than ideal, but we are hoping that it might only cost us 2-3 days if all goes well. We are doing our best to stay positive, we may not place well in the race but we will hopefully all make our flights in St Lucia.

-Izzy