Latitude 12 12.202N ; Longitude 60 29.776W Wednesday 21 December 2022, day 20

Well, what a 24 hours! Wind dropped in the afternoon, so 15.00 it was up with the kite :) and hey presto a perfect hoist! We held the kite until 23.00 doing a steady 6 knots with smooth seas :) then the wind stared to get up….. I had just come on deck to see if Greg needed help to drop it when, bang! The splice at the end of the guy wore through, and we had a free flying spinnaker. Hey ho we dropped it smartish, and continued under genoa. We made good progress until 04.00, Greg was off watch catching a few Z credits…. When I heard a knocking sound coming from Hari the Hydro vane. I did preliminary investigation but by this stage wind was getting up further, so needed to call the big guns to support. Greg identified Hari’s lower bolts were loose and lashed the rudder shaft for reassurance, but we knew we had to sort as soon as we got in. 

Meanwhile the wind and sea built! We had another squally night, wind, rain, big confused sea, lots of new battle rattles, clangs and bumps….. and not much sleep! Worse than that, the wind drove our track north of our way point on the south of Grenada, not much we can do about it but we will now have to either go around the top of the island or jibe and run down it’s east and not very friendly side :( looks like it will be tomorrow before we’re in!

Just need a shout out for Hari! Hari has been an amazing crew member on this trip. He’s single-handedly helmed over 2,000nm through some really horrid seas and wind…. He deserves his 2 swallows too! In fact we had talked about awarding them…. But, alas, with 80nm of Grenada, disaster struck! Hari’s lower bolts parted company with his rudder shaft completely, only really saved by Greg’s earlier lashing! :0 So, still big sea’s,  Greg ‘hove too’ (stopped the boat), he and I then removed Hari’s sail, his rudder and lashed his mechanics to the stern. We don’t think anything’s broken, so fingers crossed an easy fix, but not one we can do at sea! We can’t believe that Hari, committed Hari Kari for the second time on our travels! Definitely living up to his name! Thank goodness we are almost there…..!

106nm run, about 50nm to go….. this might be my last post from sea??? Fingers crossed!!!

Alpha Whiskey 

Yours aye 

Greg and Sue xx