Monday 10th May 2004
Noon Position : 21 54N 085 04W 15 miles off the west end of Cuba.
Course 009 degrees Speed 13 knots Run since departure: 351 miles – Average speed 12.1 knots
Weather : Trade wind day, squalls and rain last night Wind : 100 degrees 16 knots
News: We have had an eventful day! We left Roatan at first light yesterday morning. The exit from Fantasy Island was a very narrow passage with 13 feet of water, exactly the same as our draft. We had come in very slowly and did not touch but went aground on the way out. We put a diver over who directed us and eventually squeezed through into open water and set off on course at 0700.
We caught three dorado but let the two small ones go and kept a nice 24 pounder. The wind was a little too light so we were running mostly with 75% sail and the rest engine and making a great speed. Managed to shut down totally later in the evening but this was interupted by a loud crash when the mizzen boom, which weighs probably over half a ton come crashing to the deck. The topping lift had broken and we were lucky there was not more damage than we sustained. It missed the outside steering wheels but bent the bimini frame and dented the pushpit, knocking over the lifering and light in the process.
No sooner had we got this all squared away when we were hit by one of the biggest squalls I have seen for a while. We had sustained winds of 40 knots for over an hour, sometime even more than that with torrential rain and blinding lightening all around.
With on and off engine assists we have managed a really good speed and have now taken in the lines. We hope to arrive Tuesday evening in Fort Lauderdale and will be docked at the Marriot Hotel on 17th Street.
PW
