Ile de Saints, Guadeloupe and up to Antigua

Friday 8^th Feb. We left Portsmouth harbour at 07:30 and the sail up to the Saintes  was uneventful with the usual 1 reef in the main and no 2 genoa. We had a ENE force 4-5. We are now learning that its much better to start the sail early in the morning as the wind increases as the day goes on, which makes for unpleasant anchoring conditions at the other end.

Once again we are back in the Eurozone with both Ile de Saintes and Guadeloupe being under French control.

The Ile de Saintes islands are very nice and I felt they were trying to create a French version of the Tobago Cays. The Council in the main town Bourg des Saintes have put in mooring balls to most of the bays which are chargeable according to boat length. These bays then have no anchoring at all unless you want to anchor in 15+ metres of water almost in the fairway. We checked into here for customs and the process was very easy using a computer and printer at the local cybercafé. Not at the Maires office as described in the pilot book. No checks at all just an uninterested guy waiting to stamp the form and take a couple of euros for his trouble.

Maires office Bourg de Saintes

We picked up a mooring ball off Ilet a Cabrit, which we found out was a very popular place for day sailors and picknickers at the weekend. [We were there Saturday and Sunday. We took the dinghy ashore and went for a walk up the hill among the feral goats and chickens. All these small islands seem to have an old fort at the top of the hill. Mostly though we people watched, read, and swam in the clear water.

Early on Monday 11^th February we left for Guadeloupe in a NE force 4 which gave us a good sail for a couple of hours until, in the lee of the island we continued under engine for the last hour. We dropped anchor off pointe Malendure, Basseterre just before 11:30am having travelled a whole 23 miles. The plan was to dinghy ashore and get some shopping from the Carrefour or Leaderprice supermarkets which were very close by. However, the weather was poor with heavy rain squalls every 15 minutes all day. We decided we didn’t need shopping enough to get drowned twice. We didn’t go ashore at all here and I was quite disappointed.

On Wednesday we motored 9 miles up the island to Deshaies [Pronounced Day-ay] and gave the sails a rest. We anchored in 5 metres water and went ashore for lunch and to get more bottled water. There is a small Spar shop here which catered for basic needs, but not fit for a full provisioning shop. On Thursday we walked the mile up the hill [There is always a hill!] to the Botanical gardens. These had been recommended to us by Alan and April off Moody Blue. The entry fee was quite steep at 15:50 euros each but we had been assured that it was worth it. And so it proved to be. There were stunning gardens with walkways, waterfalls, man made streams, a walk in aviary, as well as parakeet houses.

A picture tells a thousand words so I’ll tell the rest of the visit by pictures

We had a really good visit to the gardens and finished up by having lunch in the snack bar and having a wander in the gift shop.

The walk back down the hill was hot and we were glad to get back in the shade of the buildings, before taking the dinghy back to the boat.

Back in the harbour we went aboard ‘Zenobia’ to visit with Nikki and Adam. We would be leaving them now as our cruising paths separated. We had met each other on and off since Abona, in Tenerife, way back in October. They were going to Montserrat, then the US Virgin Isles, and on to Puerto Rico where they were leaving the boat before returning to Canada. They would continue their trip next year. We would miss seeing them about.

Our plan was to leave for Jolly Harbour, Antigua at first light on Friday morning. Before dark we removed the bimini and brought the dinghy up onto the aft deck.

Jolly Harbour Anchorage, Antigua

Friday 15^th February: Up and away by 06:10. 23.5⁰C. 1^st reef in the main and no. 2 genoa size set. The wind was a brisk ENE 5. We could see Montserrat off the port bow and Antigua ahead. About 10:30 we were fortunate to catch a glimpse of a sperm whale. Unfortunately no pictures. By 12:30 we were sailing in the lee of Antigua, but outside of the reef in 3.5 – 4 metres of water. When the depth gauge showed 5 metres we were in deep water. It was quite nerve wracking at times. We changed the courtesy flag from the French flag to the Antigua flag and hoisted the ‘Q’ [customs] flag. By 13:30 we were making our way up Jolly Harbour to the customs post. We secured alongside their pontoon and Steve went ashore to complete the formalities. 

The trip had taken 7 ¼ hours and we had averaged 7.5 knots. We were well pleased with the days sailing, a fine to beam reach all the way at last.

North into the Leward islands

North into the Leward Islands 1^st stop Dominica

Our 07:30 start leaving St. Pierre had seemed a reasonable one but, as we left the bay we seemed to be tail end Charlie again.

For the first 90 minutes we were motor sailing, then as we left the Martinique coast we were able to sail with 2^nd reef in the main and no. 2 size jib. It was very windy [still no wind instruments] with a short choppy sea. Again not pleasant sailing but by 12:30 we were in the lee of the island of Dominica and motor sailing again. By 13:30 we were anchored in Roseau Bay. Roseau is the capitol of Dominica and where we had to check in with customs and immigration.

Unlike previous islands we are given permission to stay in Roseau for 2 weeks, but need a cruising permit to go anywhere else. The cruising permit is valid for only 24 hours. 2 other boats received different instructions. We did wish Dominica had a written set procedure that all customs officers followed. Very confusing but hey, you have to suck it up and go with the flow. We are just passing through.

On Saturday morning 2/2/13 we went ashore to Roseau. It was a busy bustling town with a full on assault on the senses. There were hundreds of people milling about, there were smells of spices and fresh food, sounds of taxis and cars, and the music. The Caribbean music was loud and vibrant, invading all the corners of your mind. I loved it. Fortunately we were just out for the experience and not doing any serious shopping. We grabbed some lunch at a Jamaican Patty Shack, and carried on with our wander, continually fending off cab drivers who wanted to take us elsewhere, anywhere. If not today we could book for tomorrow! We looked for a wifi extender in the computer shop but no luck. We did pick up a glass shade for the oil lamp in the saloon and a replica hurricane lamp for use in the cockpit.

Later that day we went into the Anchorage hotel fronting the south end of the bay, grabbed a beer and made use of their free wifi for a couple of hours. The wifi  coverage is not improving as we travel. As we only need it for leisure purposes and not work, we see no need to pay the high daily prices asked for by some systems eg the HotHotHot system advertised throughout the islands. Indeed, we haven’t come across anyone who has used it. We all seem to go ashore, and just pick a bar with free access to wifi.

On Sunday morning we went to mass in the cathedral hall. The Cathedral, Our Lady of Fairhaven, was undergoing major renovations and was closed to all. 65% of the population on Dominica is Roman Catholic and the devotion was plain to see all around. In the hallway by the entrance door were instructions about dressing when attending church services. Men had to wear trousers, ladies should wear sleeves in dresses and blouses, skirts to the knee or lower.  It made me smile when I read it on Saturday, but found that these ‘rules’ were followed on Sunday. The mass was long and charismatic. The people charming and enthusiastic. The music was rhythmic and seducing. The children in the congregation were picture perfect. The young boys in white shirts, the little girls in brightly coloured dresses with matching ribbons festooned throughout the braids in their hair. A great start to the day.

We spent the rest of the morning in the botanical gardens in Roseau. It was more like a big park, immaculately kept, and full of interesting plants and trees. From the park we followed ‘Jacks Walk’ a steep walk up the hill to the remains of an old fort.

The views were terrific and the paths teeming with wildlife.

Roseau Botanical gardens

On Monday, we did shopping in the morning and in the afternoon joined Alan and April [Moody Blue] for a taxi tour to Trafalgar Falls and some hot springs.

At Trafalgar falls, Dominica

Dominica was showing us how wonderful a place she really is.

Hot springs abound in Dominica

Tuesday saw us sailing to the north end of Dominica, to Portsmouth. We sailed for 2 hours of this 20 mile trip with the 1^st reef in the main and full genoa in an easterly 4-5 wind. We anchored in 5m water, in Portsmouth bay a little after 14:30 in what was becoming a usual 20+ knots of wind. It was a warm 32⁰ C and definitely time for a swim!

On Wednesday we dinghied ashore for a walk into town. The contrasts between homes on this island never cease to amaze me. They range from a 1 room shack with a tin roof and no glass in the windows to a fabulous villa set in big grounds, with balconies all round, surrounded by flowering shrubs and screaming money. This is what we found in Portsmouth and this was on the same road.

We stopped at the Purple Turtle restaurant on the way back. It overlooked the bay, was situated on the beach, and it was lunchtime. We met Joy and Ian, a Canadian couple who have sailed the Caribbean waters for the past 10 years. We had a good chat, picked up tips for our ongoing voyage and agreed to meet them for drinks later that afternoon. They were sailing south to Grenada so we really were ships that passed in the night.

Chewsy at anchor in Portsmouth bay, Dominica 

On Thursday 7^th Feb we were up early and decided to take the dinghy over to the cruise ship dock [we had been assured this was allowed] and go hiking in the Cabrits national park and take a tour of Fort Shirley. We had a great day out. The hike was really more of an uphill walk but it was good enough for me. There were several trails we could take and we chose to go east towards the east Cabrits battlements. Fortunately the trees and shrubs have been allowed to overhang the paths and made for a shady, though still hot, walk. Our walk was punctuated with photographs as we saw lots of wildlife from butterflies, to iguanas to hermit crabs.

Hermit crab dozing on the path

The views from parts of the trail were amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

After returning to ground level we continued passed the entrance towards the restored Fort Shirley. This fort is now being prepared for use by schoolchildren, and cadet groups and we were invited to tour the buildings which included dormitories, kitchen, conference rooms as well as washrooms.

We returned back to the boat very hot and tired, but what a great day we had had adding to our knowledge about life in the Caribbean, in the 17 -1800’s. My thirst for more knowledge is coming to the fore again. We have noticed that the british forts appear to have been preserved in better condition than the French ones.

Time for another swim and prepare the boat for leaving Dominca and sailing to Ile de Saintes tomorrow.

North to St. Lucia & Martinique

7th Jan onwards

We raised our anchor at 12 midday. It was windy with ENE 5/6 leaving Bequia and our sail plan was 3 reefs in the main and no.1 jib. We left Admiralty Bay and had a good sail across the channel from Bequia to St. Vincent. Off the SW coast of St. Vincent we dropped a reef out, rolled the genoa away and motor sailed in the lee of the island. It was an opportunity for coastal sightseeing. We had been warned against staying overnight on St. Vincent because of high crime rates against yachts. As we are just 2 on board we listen to this sort of advice especially when it comes from more than one source. With more crew we may have been tempted because it looked really lovely. Lush green tropical rainforests, idyllic bays, and exotic holiday complexes delighted us as we sailed past.

We identified the 3 main anchorages described in Chris Doyles book “Sailors guide to the Windward Islands” and found very few yachts anchored. We motor sailed on past, towards the top of the island, aware that the channel between St. Vincent and St. Lucia can be very windy. We were motor sailing at 2000 rpm with the wind on the nose and making just 5 knots. Just before reaching the top of St. Vincent we dropped the third reef in. We were no sooner back in the cockpit than the wind picked up. Unfortunately still on the nose so no help with sailing. Again, we had been told it would be motor sailing all the way, but it would have been nice to prove them wrong. We seemed to take ages to cross the channel. The confused sea was determined to give us an uncomfortable trip. The lights of St Vincent seemed to mock us as we ate our dinner in dishes to try and prevent it from escaping into the cockpit. St Lucia seemed far away in the darkening skies.

Around 7pm, with it now raining, we saw lights on the south coast of St Lucia. We made slow progress up the leeward coast, passing the landmarks of the Pitons, Marigot bay, the port of Castries where a huge container ship left the port directly in front of us, and finally Rodney Bay on the North West coast.

The rain had stopped by the time we entered the bay at just after midnight. We broke our own rule of not entering a new anchorage in the dark, but the chart and pilot book showed no dangers to anchoring by Pigeon Island. Ha! Nothing is ever simple is it. It should have been text book anchoring in 3-5m water. However, it took 4 attempts to get the anchor to set. Given it was dark, we were tired, and quite a few of the anchored boats were in ‘stealth mode’ [no anchor lights on] it took a few attempts before we realised all the ‘perfect’ spots were rock on the sea bed. Eventually we found a likely sandy spot [a bit close to another boat but what the heck]. Steve deployed the anchor and this time it held. It must have known I was at the end of my tether! As the boat settled to the wind, our position was safe and we quickly put the boat to bed and went below for a well earned drink and our own bed.

The next morning we lifted the anchor and moved into the marina as we needed to check in with customs and immigration. The Rodney Bay Cruiser net supplied us with the name of an outboard mechanic who was very good at reviving dinghy engines. The net broadcasted each morning at 08:30 on VHF channel 68. It’s a really useful service and well used by the sailing community. Steve contacted ‘Roger’ [recommended by more than 1 person] and arranged for him to take the engine away to work his magic. 24 hours later the engine was returned in perfect working order; in fact better than when we bought it! What a relief.

Kath & Andrew came out to visit and we had a wonderful 2 weeks together. We stayed on St Lucia, visiting the Pitons, Marigot Bay, and Rodney bay, being tourists, even to the point of sunbathing by the pool. There are swimming pools in Rodney Bay Marina and also in Marigot Bay. 

Marigot Bay

Petite Piton, Soufriere, St Lucia

After our visitors left, we completed the leaving formalities, moved out of the marina to the Pigeon island anchorage once more and prepared the boat for our sail to Marin Bay on the S coast of Martinique the next day, a distance of 25 miles.

Again, the sail was difficult. We left at 09:30 and had 1 reef in the main and no 1 jib. It was more windy than forecast, probably a F6 again with a lumpy sea. The forecast had suggested we would have a good reach across, with fine weather until late afternoon. In fact we sailed hard on the wind the whole time and at 12:25 we ended up having 2 reefs in the main, and no. 3 jib size genoa set as a heavy squall hit us off the coast of Martinique. The rain was so hard there was no visibility at all and we both had on our oily jackets for the first time this side of the atlantic. The squall lasted just under an hour and when it left it took all the wind with it. We ended up motoring down the buoyed channel into Marin Bay and the anchorage. We anchored in Marin Bay in 5m water in brilliant sunshine.

We dinghied ashore, which was almost ½ mile away, and checked in via computer in the marina office. Very simple, quick and easy. Cost 5 Euros which I assume funds the computer and marina staffs time, because there are no customs charges levied here.

On our way into the bay we noticed 3 partially submerged sailing boats in 3 different parts of the bay. We assume that they are the victims of a hurricane. The hulls have been stripped completely, no masts either.

 

Visiting one of the chandlers later, we realised that the upstairs section was  2^nd hand goods. It was immediately obvious that a lot of the gear was salvaged from wrecked boats.

I was saddened to see these boats, which presumably had once been someones pride and joy, reduced to  wrecks in the mangroves. It was a sobering reminder of the power of nature. In the chandlers was everything from winches to engine spares, coffee machines to lifejackets. Unfortunately for us there was nothing there that we could use. Oh well, never mind. I had been hoping for a self tailing winch, but there were non the right size.

As always, the wifi is very patchy and in some places non existent. In the marina, the bars seem to cut the wifi every 10-15 minutes. Very frustrating if you are trying to do something other than check emails or post on facebook. Patience is very definitely required in these circumstances.

From Le Marin we sailed and motor sailed up to Petite Anse D’Arlet, a pretty village on the southwest coast of Martinique. We stayed here for 2 nights in Anse Chaudiere as there was more room and it was more sheltered than off the village itself. 

Petite D'Anse Arlet

We went ashore and found an excellent boulangerie which gave me a chance to practice my French. The whole village looked as though it was undergoing renovation and they were building a very pretty sea front complete will street vendors selling everything from fresh fruit and veg, to fish, to clothing and souvenirs. We did our bit to support the local economy and then returned to the boat for lunch followed by a swim.  Later we indulged in the pastime of watching boats coming into the anchorage.

Next stop is St. Pierre on the North West coast of the island. We will be checking out from here ready for our sail up to Dominica. St Pierre is very pretty but has a tragic history in that on 8^th May 1902 the town and its 30,000 residents were completely destroyed when the volcano Mt Pelee released a giant fireball of superheated gas that flowed down over the city. Today the town is rebuilt, and is a pleasant anchorage in which to spend a couple of days. We were glad we arrived early [before 12] as the space was limited. Anchoring is on a ‘shelf’ about 8metres deep. After that the bottom drops off very quickly to 50 metres. In the bay are also the remains of 12 ships, wrecked in 1902 when the volcano erupted. These are marked as dive sites and are quite popular.

We shall be moving slowly up the islands now towards Bermuda. When we leave Martinique later this week, we shall be saying goodbye to the Windward Islands and hello to the Lewards. Let’s hope the sailing gets better.

Grenada to Bequia

Grenada to Bequia

Our arrival in Prickley Bay Grenada was something of an anticlimax. We anchored in the bay. Climbing out of the dinghy onto shore was no big deal. It was as though I’d done a 2 hour sail, not that I’d been away from land for over 2 weeks. Steve went to customs and immigration and I waited in the bar. The barman had obviously heard it all before and didn’t even falter in the pouring of the beer.

I briefly thought of the ARC participants who were greeted with rum punches and T-shirts, and congratulations. Oh well- we congratulated each other. Later on we chatted with other atlantic crossers and found that this was a common theme. The achievement was a personal milestone after all.

We spent Christmas in St. Georges the capital of Grenada, in the Grenada Yacht Club. There was really heavy rain over the holiday and we wondered where we had come to. It was not what we had signed up for. I ordered wall to wall sunshine.

We met up with Emma and Russell ‘Mad Fish’ and swapped crossing stories, as you do. They had much stronger wind than us and made good time to St. Lucia.

Over Christmas we discussed what happened next. We looked at the charts and pilot books and decided where we wanted to go before heading to St. Lucia to meet Kath and Andrew on January 10^th.

We decided to move up to Carriacou before new year. Our original plan was to stay in Port Louis marina in St. Georges, a fabulous new complex with swimming pool etc. However, time was of the essence and there were places to go and people to see. We left St Georges on 29^th December and had a hard, disappointing sail up to Carriacou. Sailing was nearly impossible and we settled for main sail and engine, motor sailing in the rain for most of the 7 hour trip. We anchored in Tyrrel Bay which had about 100 boats in.

Because of the disappointing sail, we were up early next morning and had a wonderful sail [but hard on the wind] to Petite Saint Vincent. We anchored for a swim and then lunch. The weather changed subtly and we returned to Hillsborough Bay, Carriacou with 1^st reef in the main and no 3 genoa.

 

On New Years Eve we cleared out of the Grenadan Grenadines and then tacked up the channel between Carriacou and Union island anchoring in Clifton Harbour, Union Island.  This took a whole 2 hours. The immigration and customs formalities were completed in the local airport which was about a 15 minute walk.

We met the crew of Indulgence from Crosshaven again and as is always the case story swapping is the topic of the day.

New years eve afternoon saw us managing to Skype the family gathering in Cumbria, which was a little emotional for me.  We spent the evening aboard Mad Fish.

New years day saw us up early. We left Clifton Bay at 10:30am. It was a windy windy day. Did I mention we now have no tactic wind instruments? Steve thinks we need new batteries in the masthead unit. We will try and get this sorted in St. Lucia as all the dealerships are closed for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

My log entries, read “a bit windy” “windy”, “very windy” etc. We set the 1^st reef in the main and had No. 2 jib up. An hour and a half later we arrived at the Tobago Cays. Wow! Certainly worth the very windy sail. Very crowded anchorages, but there is always room for one more. There is a little shelter from the wind but the reefs at least keep the sea flat. More swimming off the back of the boat. Steve is happy. This is his favourite stop so far.

We stayed 2 nights in the cays. On the second day we took the dinghy and went exploring round the islands. A totally unforgettable experience.

 We are just so sorry we can’t get the family down here. There was a 20 Eastern Caribbean dollar anchoring charge per night as the area is a national park [about £5.00]. In the Cays, the boat boys come around in their fast ribs or local boats, selling everything from fruit, to fish, to bread and croissants for breakfast. We indulged ourselves and ordered croissants and a baguette!

After dragging ourselves away from the Tobago Cays we aimed the boat towards Canouan and tacked up towards Charlestown Bay with 1^st reef in the main and No 2 genoa. Are you seeing a pattern to the sail plan? 1^st reef in the main and varying bits of genoa. Like I said, it’s windy out here. The permanent cruisers call the wind “the Christmas Winds” and they should be gone by end of January. Wind can be ENE / NE 15 – 22knots up to 40 knots at times in gusts. However, gusts can last about an hour and a half. You don’t get much warning either.

Anyway, coming into Charlestown we were keeping a close eye on a line of squalls in front of us. As we tacked into the entrance of the bay the squall hit. The rain was so heavy that Steve had to heave to as there was no visibility at all and we had to sail between 2 buoys. That was not the answer though as the current was shifting us sideways very fast. We started sailing again, Chewsy looking as though she had 2 drowned rats aboard. The pilot book had warned that the entrance to the bay was windy. No exaggeration there then!

As the rain clouds tore away, we anchored in the bay and the sun came out and we had a respectable 26.6 degrees of temperature with sunshine. We had lunch in the cockpit watching the antics of a couple of big turtles swimming around the boat. We decided Charlestown was not the best anchorage. It was very windy and there was a big swell

The 4^th January saw us leaving Canouan [we wouldn’t go again] and heading for Bequia. Our sail plan was as before, We were close on the wind on port tack in a very lumpy sea (technical speak!!!). Fortunately, as before it was a short sail and as we tacked in to Admiralty Bay [plenty of tacking practice taking place here] a photographer appeared in a fast rib taking photos of the boat. He later visited the boat with some proofs.

 

It’s a bit like getting an aerial photo of your home. You just have to buy it. So we did!

We anchored in Admiralty Bay, Port Elizabeth in a great spot, not far from a dinghy dock. We stayed for a couple of days. We went to a great mass in the local church, full of drums, choirs and childrens short plays.

Disaster struck as we were getting ready to visit friends Stuart and Liz aboard Finn Rose, from Scotland. The dinghy, complete with new Mercury engine, flipped in the strong wind. The next day and a half passed in a blur as Steve tried everything to remove the salt water from the engine. He phoned Kath on the sat phone to ask about the routine the RNLI used during capsize drills; he cleaned the carburettor, the plug was removed and dried, then replaced, etc, etc. It started occasionally, but ultimately it was not reliable. This meant we needed to rely on the old Suzuki which had been reconditioned in Tenerife. Ha!. Think we were done. Still doesn’t work. Best place for that is in the nearest skip.

All this meant we had to accept a lift ashore from Lee on "Jon Jon", so Steve could check out and we could leave for our 12 hour plus trip up to Rodney Bay St. Lucia. 

Caribbean photo selection

A brief glimpse of Caribbean photos taken

Prickley Bay Marina, Grenada

Prickley Bay Marina

Grenada Yacht Club, St Georges

Sunset over Grenada

Hillsborough, Carriacou

Port Elizabeth, Bequia

Steve in Bequia

Rodney Bay St. Lucia

Marigot Bay St. Lucia

Strange veg indeed. 

Waiting for breakfast

Happy New Year

Happy New year to everyone from the sunny Grenadines. Just had 2 days of great sailing in the sun. I'll put up my next blog from Grenada shortly.

Atlantic crossing factfile

From Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verdes to Prickly Bay, Grenada, Windward Islands. Wednesday 5^th December – Friday 21^st December 2012

I can’t possibly give a blow by blow account of the 17 day crossing. Suffice it to say we got on very well; there were no arguments. We got very tired, read a great deal, listened to music, chatted to other cruisers when they passed by and generally speaking the time passed quite quickly.

I didn’t bake as I had planned. It was too hot to stand in the galley, sometimes the motion was too bad for safety. We had plenty to eat without baking goodies.

I have made a list below of pertinent facts. Please feel free to comment if you wish. This was never going to be a fast crossing. Chewsy is a tortoise rather than a hare. What we wanted was a best we can do, safe crossing. That's what we achieved. 

Atlantic Crossing Factfile

Days to cross: 17 days and 1 hour

Fuel on board.  300 litres.  Fuel used 150 litres

Sails used. Main, full, 1^st reef, 2^nd reef. Genoa, small jib size, cruising chute.

Sail plans used. Main and genoa, genoa alone, main and cruising chute. Main and engine. Genoa poled, or not. Chute poled.

Wind directions encountered. N, NE, NW, S, SE, SW, W, E

Water on board. 400 litres in tanks, 15 5 litre bottles drinking water. 19 5 litre bottles with tap water from Tenerife and Mindelo as back up. [needs boiling before use]

Steve:-

Biggest fear – dismasting

Things learnt on trip – how to use a pole efficiently, patience [bless him]

Chris:-

Biggest fear –Steve going overboard

Things learnt on trip – how to use a pole, uphauls, downhauls, how to manage a squall, sail trim. How patient Steve is!

Maximum speed recorded – 8.8kn

Average speed over 17 days - 5.1 knots

Maximum miles recorded over 24 hours – 150 – Day 9 Thursday 13^th  December

Minimum miles recorded over 24 hours – 98 – Day 13 Monday 17^th December

Most sail changes in 24 hours – 13 – Days 1+2 Wed 5^th Thurs 6^th  December

Least sail changes in 24 hours – 1 – Wednesday 19^th December

Learning points

·       Use old sails. They will get wrecked

·       Have plenty of blocks and spare running rigging

·       It’s hard work with 2 people

·       If anything bad is going to happen it will happen at night.

·       There are loads of fish out there but you need heavy tackle to land it in the boat. 60lb line was not heavy enough.

·       Can’t have too much food and water, beer and wine on board. We had a shandy with our dinner most nights. Otherwise we had a dry boat.

·       We had huge first aid kits but could really have done with some witch hazel for my bruises.