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Arkouda - Getting Closer!



Arkouda
12/17/13 05:00 UMT Postion: 13:37 N 54:35 W

We only have approximately 370 miles to reach the northern end of St. Lucia, then its only a few miles around the corner and our Trans Atlantic crossing will be complete!

The weather and seas have been a little weird during the night. Instead of the usual steady 20 to 25 knots of wind that we have been having, we are 18 knots one minute, 30 knots for 5 minutes, back to 22 knots for a half an hour. During the day we steer the boat according to the course we want to go, that way we are headed the right direction. This direction does not always make for the smoothest course, so for the last few nights we have steered according to the wind angle, keeping it as close to directly behind us as possible, which makes for a smoother ride. It also makes our course a bit of a zig-zag!

i don't know what kind of weather you guys are having up north, but I suspect its stormy and wish it would quit! We now have two wave trains, one set one direction, one set another direction. We are currently just trying to steer between the two and trying to smooth things out.

The boat is really amazing, and reminds me a little of our Great Dane, Cedrik. "You want to talk a walk, mom, cool!" is akin to ""You want to go to weather now, awesome, lets do it!" (Going to weather is steering into the waves and seas as close as possible. They call it "beating" because that basically what it does to you!) Only going to weather now would be more like being tied to the leash as he chases the coyotes! This trip was supposed to be all about sailing down wind, more like "want to take a nap, mom? Cool!) Only this downwind ride has not been quite as smooth as others that we have had. Arkouda seems to take everything thrown at her in stride, and just shakes it off, and keeps moving along.

I am not whining, I promise. We are still having a fantastic time!

Cynthia

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