Glorious Tradewind sailing Days 3 and 4

What a change – a Northeast breeze (around force 5) has set in, with the rough seas moderating and today (Friday) it seems as though we are in for some extended tradewind sailing in bright sunshine. The jumpers and jackets have been abandoned and teeshirts are the order of the day. This is definitely what we all signed up for.

Good and bad news on the equipment front – it seems to be the way of things:

• The good news is that an ingenious use of bolts and lashings (and duct tape of course) has restored our genoa pole, enabling us to sail close downwind on a course that is headed straight for St Lucia by the shortest route.

A wondrous thing of bolts and lashings and its author

Jake on the trapeze during the repair

The genoa pole restored

• The less good news is that we have lost the autopilot as something seems to have gone wrong with the motor unit that drives the rudders, so we are all getting used to constant hand-steering – luckily we’re getting much better at it. Investigations continue to see whether we can get it back.

We are eating well – last night seared tuna with loads of sauteed tomatoes, garlic, onions and rice – delicious and a useful deterrent to vampires.

Unalloyed good news on the sailing front, though – we are 181 miles closer to St Lucia today than we were yesterday.

Andrew, Lucinda, Jake and Jeff