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NDS Darwin




Day 11 onboard...

Everything that happened today couldn't wait until tomorrow.

I woke up to the engines off and sailing nicely.. right on time to see the sunrise and put the fishing rods out.
It was an amazing morning, with fresh bread and fruit.
We decided to put up the spinnaker, the wind was perfect for it...
Spinnaker up, and doing 8 knots of speed.
Suddenly fshhhhh we caught a fish!! Brought it in slowly, perfect it made it to the boat. We cut it and had some nice steaks of mahi mahi.
Awesome... the day couldn't get any better, we opened a couple of beers because we were under 1000 miles to go! Great!!! Happiness everywhere..
Everyone left and I was doing my watch.. out of nowhere, no gust of wind, no change of direction. PUFFFF THE SPINNAKER JUST EXPLODED! Diego and I flew downstairs to let the rest know.. we fought with two pieces that were on the water but got everything onboard. No more spinnaker for us. Nice 👍🏼 those 8 knots of speed gone.
We put out the genoa (Luckily we fixed it if not we wouldn't arrive for Christmas) and the stay sail to do a butterfly, so we could get back some speed... but no, no more than 5 knts over the ground.

There is not enough fuel to motor or at least motor sail all the way. So we will have to live like this for the rest of the trip..

Willy (how we named the whale that followed us for a couple of hours last week) was back!!! He was playing with the boat for an hour! We think is the same one that was with us the other day...
More than a week to arrive, that means that we don't have enough food for that long. Even with the Mahi Mahi onboard, still no lunch for us.
A couple of minutes ago, we got another bite! I brought it in (with Duarte's help, too heavy!!) made it all the way inside the boat. But before we could grab it, it just jumped all over and got free.

Today is not our day, these things happen when you are sailing but after 10 days, it's already getting tiring!

No boats around, that would at least encourage us a bit more. But only thinking that most of them will get in before us is not making anything easier.

We are definitely out of the race, there is no way we will bit anyone going 3 knots!!!!! (yes that's it, we are doing not more than that right now!!!!)

Definitely the "youngies" onboard are hoping we get in before next Friday to go to the street party in St Lucia.. been there more than 5 times and it's sooo good!

Let's hope that what is missing of the day nothing else happens!! Enough adrenaline and change of scenery for one day.

964nm to go! (9-10 days to go at this speed, way to go!!!)

Out for now Lucia on NDS Darwin


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