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Hugo - Day #15 ARC Update:



6 v happy menfolk & one v happy girl on board with some fine tradewind sailing FINALLY  happening…well, for half a day then it went away again.  ‘Big yellow’ spinnaker billowing with mid Atlantic beautiful blue as the backdrop. Many squalls, 1 lightning storm & plenty of doldrums has seen a much slower crossing than crew expected but spirits are extremely high with good humour, lots of amazing sights, some good sailing, some even greater fishing, good company & hot, yummy meals breaking up our days at sea.

 

Highlights:  Fishing - 1.33m long heavy Mahi Mahi & a 1m long Barracouta - plenty of yum meals from these two.

Dolphins, whales & more whales - one just swam alongside us - magnificent

Beautiful skies - three double rainbows in a row this morning & plenty more double rainbows, jaw-dropping sunsets & sunrises, dramatic storm cells & squalls & cloud formations we have never experienced before.

‘Hugo’ in beautiful condition & sailing well - converted all monohull sailors on board to catamarans now!

We have been besieged by squadrons of Kamikaze Flying Fish which launch at our boat hulls, decks & our helmsmen - most active on our night watches.  Despite repeated attempts of invasion, the enemy has retreated & now developing different tactics.

We saw a yacht appear on our AIS two nights ago & got excited but it disappeared quickly.  We haven’t seen a boat for 10 days.

 

Some breakages - a very sad torn Code Zero occurred before half way - slower wind angles now with use of jib & asymmetrical spinnaker only.

Starboard blackwater pump stopped working.   3 days of getting up close & personal with our toilet system did not get us anywhere.  Thankful for 2 other back-up toilets with this many blokes on board!  We now think a kamikazi flying fish has sailed into blackwater outlet.

Broken preventer after a heavy fourteen days of sloshing about in light winds & messy seas.

‘Ray’ our trusty auto-helmsman bled to death a week ago (hydraulic leakage spraying everywhere).  Our ‘phone a friend’ saved the day. Thankful for ARC team helping relay info on how to revive Ray & happy to say that he is back in 90% health & is good on our night time slower watches.

 

Mr Bean, our espresso machine, is our hardest working crew member & never complains.

 

Finally experiencing the sailing that was promised in the brochure & crew all have their shirts off (except me) & soaking up the tropical sun.  Counting down the n.m. to our destination & dreaming of lobster, rum & a swim in turquoise tropical water. (DTW:776.1nm as I write this) although we are loving every minute of being on the big blue (well maybe not the part in the bilge with the blackwater pump…boats!).

 

The wind has gone MIA again as I write this so half the crew have taken a mid-Atlantic dip in the ocean – apparently very refreshing !!

 

Tina

(and all on board - Russ, Peter, Stu, Mark, Simon and Tim)



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