15:49N 55:18W at 19:15GMT
BxWx forecast a Wet Blob several days ago, and this morning we set the ornery main and genoa ready for some soggy Weather ™. Nick and David loved it – proper UK-style sailing. Then we put up the gennaker as well and whizzed along at up to 10knots on a nice beam reach, and when the giant rainstorm turned up we put on Ride Of The Valkyries several times, loud. This time we got a proper hit, loads of rain and wind, solid speeds of 16 and 17knots for several minutes at a time, the whole thing lasting well over half an hour, 10nm nearer the waypoint in an hour.
Now late in the afternoon we have main and genoa, about 7.5knot average, clearing sunnier skies and seas down exactly as Forecast ™. So, we’ll likely be in Rodney Bay when Sam tells us she’s bet we’ll arrive, whatever time that is, hopefully sometime Wednesday afternoon ish.
Dee’s on watch at the moment. She holds our course record for not quite making it to the helm in time for her watch, including the time we moved the clocks back two hours at the beginning of her watch and even with it being “one oclock” for a whole two hours she *still* managed to be fifteen minutes late. This morning she came in the saloon and I sed Wow what are you doing up at this time? It’s my watch soon, she said. Yeah, well, so what? Heehee.
Nick made Canarian potatoes (potatoes cooked to dry in seawater) for lunch while I thrashed the boat through the rainstorm at the helm, excellent stuff. Olly and David orgainsed suitable rackety music while the warm wind and rain lashed around us. Great fun.
Special thankyou today to Sarah on Cape, our new-found Gout Consultant. She’s been giving “Doctor” Nick advice about what drugs David can have, and what food etc. Nick was worried he might be struck off the Quack Register for not telling David to drink more water, but I think he’ll get away with it. Thanks again Sarah xxx.
Mandie in Portugal, living on a boat in Portimao, has also been following our progress. Apparently one of her galleys drawers is a bit stuck or she’s found a grubby mark on the sofa or summink, and that’s it, they’re gonna buy a new boat.