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Walkabout - Blog Day 2 - 20th February 2023



N13:43.6 W66:30.4

On the high seas, the Caribbean Sea in fact!

It’s just gone lunchtime and we are feeling rested and relaxed after a very busy few weeks and enjoying life onboard Walkabout.

We are currently sailing wing-on-wing in 13-17 knots of breeze from behind, full Genoa and reefed mainsail, the waves lulling us into a sense of peace and tranquillity.

‘Sheila’ our self steering Hydrovane has been given her course instructions and doing a grand job!

The crew are showered (which would have been very challenge in the last 24 hrs) before tucking into rolls for lunch with hummus and carrots plus a little marble cake for afters.

A load is washing is on the line drying in the breeze and the fishing rods are out. Walkabout is currently cruising at 6-7 knots and we are calling in the fishies!
Otherwise it’s pasta for supper and the rota has Tom as head chef.

Despite feeling more rested and relaxed this morning, last night was fun and games with the mainsail! The wind had picked up and so we reefed the Genoa for a more comfortable sail overnight.
Andrew noticed that the reefed mainsail was snagged behind the shrouds and looked like it was about to rip, so we decided to turn to wind and try to free it before reducing the sail to the 3rd reef point.

No sooner had we freed the sail and turned back downwind than the mainsail gybed and the mainsail snagged yet again!
The sea was bouncy, it was pitch dark, we were all clipped on and eventually reducing the mainsail to its 3rd reef point, we avoided the snagging point and settled back to a lively sail and broken sleep!

A bit of VHF chit chat helped the early hours along. Then, at 0900 every morning we have the SSB radio net. All boats with SSB can join in, to report positions and any particular issues. Our new SSB has been working well, but today something has changed, and we could hardly hear or be heard. It is a dark art this radio business. No end of knob twiddling could make things any better. May have to go for the modern solution of switching it off and then back on again!

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