can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Ayama - WONDERFUL SEND-OFF FROM SANTA MARTA



About 11.30 yachts starting heading out of the Marina for the midday start. The starting line was between a dinghy and the end of the Marina. 5 minutes before the start a tug parked itself in the middle of the start line!! He had come to give us a send-off with his water hoses. After various hilarious radio conversations he did move to one side. Yachts were all a bit like race horses lining up for the “off”. One even had her spinnaker poles out sideways ready to go goose-wing…she looked a bit like one of the racing chariots in Ben Hur and she was given wide berth. Suddenly we were all off..the helicopter flew overhead and the tug squirted water out on both sides…apparently a real honour for us.

A sad but wonderful send –off from Santa Marta, her charming and friendly people and all the amazing hospitality we were given.

It was interesting how we all scattered in different direction; the sea was choppy and the winds strong so we set the jib. Some yachts were soon having to take in a bit of sail. Back to 3 hour watches and I was on the 12-3 am watch so had an evening snooze…not very easy as the sea was rough and very noisy. When I took over watch there was a ship in front of us not showing up on the AIS. Stefan gave her wide berth in case she was a fishing boat then suddenly the crew must have woken up as all her deck lights came on and her AIS. She was a cargo ship.

Halfway through my watch a big wave hit Ayama broadside and drenched the cockpit and me. It also threw Ayama way off course and Stefan had to come and help get her back . We realised the compass light had not been turned on which made it hard to know where she was despite all the electronic equipment. Later Stefan had another freak wave which ripped the ARC sign we have on the side. The deck is littered with various sizes of flying fish. On my watch I saw a big meteorite. Per had a very badly lit yacht sail very close and had to take evasive action.

Wednesday Still sailing with the jib as the wind can gust up to 30-32 knots. We are doing 5-7 knots but the waves are big and there is a variable current. Stefan and Anna saw a pilot whale. Per and Stefan changed to the genoa. After sunset Maureen from Aquilon III called Stefan on the radio to say that they could not see Ayama’s tricolour on the top of the mast (could be the LED bulbs are not bright enough) so we had to sail with the navigation lights. On Stefan’s 6-9 pm watch he was confused by Allegro (the Portuguese yacht) doing manoevres in our path but then they headed off on our portside. On my dawn watch I had a flying fish land in the cockpit and also saw a smallish and a very large fish leaping in the water.

We are now approaching the San Blas Islands and looking forward to a swim.

Previous | Next