WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO! LESS THAN 50 MILES TO GO!!!!!!!!
The more perceptive of you may have realised we are quite excited as we are nearly there at last! I have to admit that the last 2 days have dragged a bit as the lack of wind has been a big limit on our speed. We've been motoring a lot of the time but still have been getting the sails up whenever possible. We do at least now think we have enough diesel to see us through so we won't be requiring a tug when we get to Rodney Bay.
Yesterday was in fact so quiet that even I couldn't think of anything to say and those of you that know me will realise quite how unusual that is.
Today however did bring some excitement early on when Graham made one last ditch attempt to catch a tuna: he didn't quite get that but rather the biggest Mahi mahi we have seen to date. This thing was enormous, with a head that wouldn't have looked out of place on a Limousin bull. Our slight problem was that we didn't really want another Mahi especially one that would have fed half of the ARC boats for a week, so we really needed to get the hook out and put him back. Obviously the poor fish didn't know this so he fought like crazy: it was an epic battle of man versus fish that raged for almost half an hour in which time the fish alternated between diving to the dark blue depths and somersaulting out of the water like an Olympic gymnast. After the fish had started to tire (and I must admit Graham was looking more than a little pooped by this time) he was brought to the stern but in one stupendous last leap (caught on camera by yours truly) he spat the hook back at us and sped on his way. I don't know who was more relieved: the fish or us as we now didn't have to wrestle something that looked at least 1.5m long and probably weighed over 40lb!
Graham decided after this that fishing was over for this trip and he would have to content himself with a tin of John West's finest.....
The rest of the day paled into insignificance after the fishing apart from perhaps having the shortest radio net check in possible: just 5 boats, I think we truly do fit the term stragglers now, oh well, life isn't all a race I suppose?!
Tomorrow morning should bring us to St. Lucia, possibly still in the dark, but day or night it will be excellent to have reached it and I know we all will have a great feeling of achievement to have sailed almost 2900 miles of ocean, crossed 4 time zones and journeyed from one continent to another.... all on a 40ft yacht.
For the last time at sea
Love from all on Nyda
Rosie xx