Thursday 4th of May

Awelina of Sweden
James Collier
Thu 4 May 2017 16:27
20:21.8N, 061:29.6W

A varied first day of the voyage. First tacking to clear the channel between Anguilla and St. Marten, which is full of lobster pots. In fact we hooked one but after an anxious moment it slipped off the skeg. Then all afternoon close-hauled on starboard tack but constantly taking in and letting out sails as squall after squall came past with torrential rain and winds up to F6. The taking in of the yankee requires winching from the port stern quarter and this receives all the water caught by the mainsail that’s funnelled down the stack pack and tipped conveniently right onto one’s head. No need for a shower afterwards.

Sunset was around 7pm, ratatouille and rice for supper and then ocean passage watches beginning at 8pm. The moon is half way to full at the moment so when there are gaps in the clouds the night is quite bright.

We’re using the hydrovane to steer with the wheel lashed in an easterly force 4 to 5 but rather rough sea so only doing about 6.5 knots. Still, on the desired course which is a bit N of the great circle route, turning more due east once around 100 miles south of the latitude of Bermuda.

Unusually for our ocean passages we are sailing in company with friends on the “Spirit of Blacklock” who left 10 minutes ahead of us from the same anchorage. There were several other boats leaving as well but by 6pm we’d overtaken all others except Spirit of Blacklock which all were out of sight 8 miles north west of us having taken a different route round Anguilla. But by dawn were running parallel to another yacht, which turned out to be Blacklock, who are still in sight about 4 miles to the NW of us.