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Bamarandi - Tuesday 1st December - off to Antigua



Position14.44.135N 061.17.062W

For those following on the ARC+ website / YB Races app we have handed our ARC+ racking device back in at St Lucia so we will not show on their map any more. If you wish to see where we are have a look at http://blog.mailasail.com/bamarandi where our position plots on a map - providing you have google earth installed and our blog continues to run.

We were up at 6am to quite heavy rainfall - good news as it washed the boat down for us and got rid of much of the salt water. The rain stopped and we  set off from Rodney Bay Marina at St Lucia for Antigua at about 7am. Yellow shirted ARC staff were up and about and they waved us off.  We got out into the bay and passed the ARC boat at station waiting for more arrivals - they too waved us farewell.

We pulled up the mainsail, set the genoa and headed out to sea. We had checked the weather before setting off and we could see the forecast light wind for our passage would be right behind us again! We had hoped for better wind direction and speed.

We were about an hour out from St Lucia when we spotted a small light grey dinghy bobbing about in the sea ahead. It seemed a long way out for such a small boat and the binoculars showed us it had no engine and seemingly no one on board. We got very close to it to discover it was an AB Dinghy with no outboard on and no one in it. There were no oars either but there was a red plastic fuel can. It was in quite good condition but had no name marked on it. We suspected it had become detached from the back of someones boat towing it and they had not realised. We sent out a radio message on channel 16 which everyone is tuned into broadcasting its location and description.   Hopefully it will be re-united with its rightful owner.

The brown gulls joined us again for another aerobatic fishing display and seemed happy with their catches dive bombing right into the sea in front of us. We navigated through some very big floating seaweed patches - we seem to be weed free currently.

We are passing the island of Dominica at the moment on our starboard side. The sea is much flatter with very little swell but the wind is only at a very low 7kts and right on our nose - or swinging to port  - it has changed completely. We may get a wind sheer effect as we pass the end of the island as we did at Mindelo but we think it his unlikely.

At 1pm we had 144nm to go to Antigua so we expect to be there around 11am tomorrow. Rain is forecast overnight although that seems hard to believe as it is a hot sunny day here at the  moment. 

Delicious burgers knocked up in the galley for lunch which has continued to be a hive of non-stop activity.

As it is 1st December the Bamarandi Christmas Tree has been installed complete with a string of lights and a happy looking snowman resplendent in  bobble hat gloves and scarf. Christmas is now only 24 days away which doesn’t seem possible! 

Everyone on board is very good and looking forward to arriving at Antigua tomorrow.



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