Yesterday was a 25-hour day. Because of the earth's rotation (360 degrees in 24 hours) and because we are travelling west, our destination is 4 hours behind our departure port. Rather than have a 4-hour lag on arrival, Anna allocates an extra hour for every 16 degrees of longitude we sail and she and Bones do an hour each which means the rest of the crew get an extra hour's rest. This was particularly welcome as it was a helter skelter of a night's sail. Fortunately, we had snuffed the spinnaker and put a reef in before Brodie and Keith's Spaghetti Carbonara dinner as the wind gradually increased overnight and the sea gradually heightened. In the dark it was a (scary) wild whirling sail down the sides of steep waves pushing through piles of frothing, suds filled water. We tried to hold a westward 270 degree course but with the veering ENE-E-ESE wind only managed 290 degrees by the end of the night. Keeping the boat from gybing and from heading up into the wind required such concentration that we could only take the helm for ten minutes at a time.
This morning, Sunday, we woke to grey skies, grey rolling seas and strong winds such that Bones broke the speed record when Emily Morgan caught a wave and surfed down at 11.3 knots. The top speed record was then broken several times, creeping up to 11.9 knots. We had to gybe the boat to get back on a course for St Lucia. This meant changing course and moving the boom from one side to the other so that the wind is now coming in over the port side of the boat. On the radio net we heard of other boats in the cruising fleet who also had a tough night's sail and most were on two reefs and a partially furled genoa. We passed near 'Amelia' who had a cheerful orange storm sail set. The only colour on the grey sky and grey sea scape
. until we caught a Mahi-Mahi! Our first fish! It's a bright iridescent blue green. We're looking forward to fresh fish for lunch!
Elizabeth
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