sy Timoneer

Noon Position 17 deg 57N 50deg  44W

Course  – 255 Degrees   Speed –  11.5  Knots        Day’s Run – 280  Miles

Weather –   Sunny with following swells

Wind  – 22  knots from  095  degrees

It had been a fairly uneventful 24 hours pretty much like the last, other than we gybed as we were getting forced north by the shifting wind and then about 30 minutes ago we spotted whales beside the boat. We have had 2 Minke whales around 20’ (6m) long surfing the waves around us for the last half hour. I will search through my many photos of water and see if I have any good ones of the whales to put on the web tomorrow.

JC

Noon Position  18deg 15N 45deg 52 W

Course  – 265 Degrees   Speed – 12 Knots        Day’s Run – 282  Miles

Weather –   Sunny with 13’ (4m) swells from behind

Wind  – 27  knots from  080  degrees

It’s been another  24 hours of rolling but we have managed to do some good speed motor sailing with the mizzen and staysail. We had a strike on the fishing lines yesterday but it got away before we got it to the boat. The seas are now the beautiful blue that we think of in the tropics and the sea temperature is now up to 75 F (24 C).  We have been getting plenty of rain squalls as well to remind us we are in the tropics.

The nights are lit by a near full moon which is up most of the night making it easy to keep an eye on the sails and will help if we arrive in Antigua at night.

JC

Noon Position 18 deg 33N 40deg  58W

Course  – 262 Degrees   Speed – 11.5   Knots        Day’s Run – 276  Miles

Weather –   Sunny with 13’ (4m) swells from behind

Wind  – 25  knots from  70  degrees

The last 24 hours have been very similar to the previous. Lots of rolling and struggling to keep sails full. This morning at first light I manage to put the mizzen up and it has been behaving. It has helped us to speed up but not done much to slow the rolling.

No luck on the fishing with these rough conditions. Today the seas are starting to get more organised and we are hoping they will start to get longer between them making it more comfortable and better for boat speed

JC

Noon Position 18 deg 53N 36deg 08 W

Course  – 256 Degrees   Speed –  11.5  Knots        Day’s Run – 273  Miles

Weather –   Sunny with rain clouds around. 13’ (4m) swells mostly from behind

Wind  – 20  knots from 085 degrees

We had some good motor sailing yesterday until around midnight when the wind went too far behind us and we couldn’t keep the main sail full so we took it down and the rolling started again for another night. By 5am we had to take the mizzen down as the wind was directly behind us and not strong enough to fill it. So this morning we have really been rolling and every little job has become a real chore. I did get a good haul of 7 flying fish off the deck this morning which we are having fried up with lunch. The fishing lines are out today but we are not overly hopeful as it is difficult to keep the lures in the water in these rough conditions.

Another 5 days of these conditions and we should be arriving in Antigua on the 19th.

Last night Timoneer clocked up another 10,000 nautical miles as the log rolled over to zero. The last time this happened was 3 days after departing the Caribbean in April.

JC

Noon Position 19 deg 15N 31deg 21 W

Course  – 266 Degrees   Speed – 11.5   Knots        Day’s Run – 272  Miles

Weather –  Sunny with 13’ (4m) swells from NNE

Wind  – 22  knots from  055  degrees

We had the engine off at times yesterday and were sailing at speeds up to 13 knots but the winds kept changing and forced us to motor sail. Soon after dark the swell got too big and we had to take the main and genoa down so they were not damaged as we were rolled by the swell on the beam. Without those big sails to stabilise us we had a very rolly night. By the morning the wind had strengthened enough to keep the sails full and we sailed for a while. We are now motor sailing with the staysail, main and mizzen. The seas are building but it is due to come from behind us from tomorrow onwards which will hopefully speed us up and be more comfortable.

JC

Noon Position  20deg 02N 26deg 38 W

Course  – 258 Degrees   Speed – 12   Knots        Day’s Run – 255  Miles

Weather –   Sunny with 10’ (3m) swells from the North

Wind  – 13  knots from  030  degrees

We had wind on the nose most of yesterday afternoon and into the evening keeping our speed down to 10 knots. Overnight the wind swung around to the West and on to the North. At 6am today we put up the main and genoa and have been motor sailing in pleasant conditions since. We are just waiting for the wind strength to increase slightly so that we can turn the engine off. This morning we saw our first flying fish confirming we are back in the tropics.

JC

Noon Position  21deg 28N 23deg  35W

Course  – 225 Degrees   Speed – 10   Knots        Day’s Run – 275  Miles

Weather –   Overcast

Wind  – 12  knots from  200  degrees

We had nice conditions yesterday afternoon and evening and were averaging between 12-13 knots for several hours. Around 5pm we crossed over the Tropic of Cancer and are now officially back in the tropics. The temperature outside is very pleasant and the sea temperature is now up to 75 F( 24C). At 3.30am the wind turned on the nose and slowed us down considerably.

I put the fishing lines out at first light today and after couple of hours we caught a nice Mahi Mahi. Fresh fish for dinner tonight! This morning we put the clocks back another hour. We are still having satellite problems but now it due to our course and the mast hiding the view of the satellite. Hopefully this problem will be solved when we turn the corner tonight and head towards Antigua.

JC

Noon Position  24deg 28N 18deg  58W

Course  – 250  Degrees   Speed – 11.5   Knots        Day’s Run – 275  Miles

Weather – 10’ (3m) swells and overcast

Wind  – 23  knots from 120   degrees

Sorry for the delayed report yesterday. We were having a lot of satellite communications problems. Eventually we got them up and running again and got contact with the outside world.

The great winds yesterday stopped around 2pm and we had to turn the engine back on. The very pleasant conditions of the afternoon and evening didn’t last long either and we had a very bumpy, rolling night. Everyone is looking a bit tired today. This morning we have been sailing with 2 reefs in the main and mizzen and the full genoa. It is nice to have the engine off and doing 12.5 knots. We are now starting to feel the effects of the storm to the north and have more 2 days dealing with it before we hit the Trade winds from the North East.

JC

Noon Position  27deg 03N 15deg  14W

Course  – 230 Degrees   Speed – 11.5   Knots        Day’s Run – 270  Miles

Weather –  Sunny and a slight swell.

Wind  – 16  knots from 110   degrees

Late afternoon we sailed over the Concepcion Shoal north of Lanzarote Island. We had been motor sailing at 11.5 knots most of the afternoon but after a lot of fishing talk we slowed down as we went over  the shoal. The guys were so busy telling fishing stories that they did not even hear the line go until Jordi let them know. We lost that one at the back of the boat. Next both lines went and we were ready and landed 2 Bonito tuna.

During the night we sailed past Lanzarote and Fuertoventura Islands, members of the Canary Islands. At first light we put all the sails up and have had the engine off and sailing between 11-12 knots all morning. Long may that last.

We have been staying 30 miles or so off the coast of Africa and heading further south than normal to avoid a large storm between the Azores and Canaries. We will finally get around the south of it in another couple of days and then start heading west to Antigua.

JC

Noon Position 30 deg 43N 011deg  53W

Course  – 221 Degrees   Speed –  11.5  Knots        Day’s Run –  250 Miles

Weather –   Partly cloudy with 6’ (2m) swells on the nose

Wind  – 18  knots from  155  degrees

The seas flattened and the wind died yesterday afternoon and we all enjoyed the smooth conditions. Unfortunately they did not last through the night. We all got woken as the bouncing got worse. At 8am, with the first light, I put up the main with 2 reefs. We also were using the mizzen and staysail and have been motor sailing South all morning.

Late afternoon we saw pilot whales and we have also had visits from some very small dolphins. We have not bothered to put the fishing lines out today as the conditions are too rough to keep the lures in the water.

Today we will put our clocks back for the first of 5 time zone changes we will do before our arrival in Antigua.

JC