2007 ARC Log     

Date 03 12.07

Day Nine

00.01  19.55N  33.48W. Bearing 273 degrees; wind true 15 -20kts,

            SOG 6kts kts.    EMc

01.30  Wind speed 15kts SOG 6.5 Squall came in EMc

02.00  No other vessels sighted visually  EMc

03.00  19.52N 34.05W  Bearing 273 degrees True wind speed 15kts

            SOG 6-7 kts. 1,579 miles to go.  EMc

03.30  Bearing 270, wind speed, 15-16kts, SOG reaching 6kts

           All sails now set for Port tack. RT

04.00  Wind E steady 15kts occasionally rising to 20kts.

            Course change to 262 degrees to get back on track.

            and hold speed 6.5 to 7.00kts/ No sightings. RT

06.00   Wind SE 14-15kts COG 257 degrees SOG 6.5kts

            1,561 miles to go (17 mile Watch run)

08.00   Another yacht sighted passing astern of us on a course of

            approximately 250 degrees. MS

08.30    Clock and battery check; batteries down to 22.5V

             Generator started. Called up yacht astern which identified

             itself as EH01 skippered by Victoria. They have nine

             persons on board are entered in the racing division.

             They get hourly weather reports which are giving light

             winds of 6-8kts ahead if we remain on the rum line.

             They are going south in the hope they can skirt the holes. FN

09.00   19.39N 34.44W Winds mostly 13kts true giving SOG

             of 6kt Distance covered in Watch 20nm; distance to St Lucia

             1,541nm. MS

09.30    Skipper decides having spoken with EH01 and in the light of

             the information given, to set a new course of 240 degrees

             which EH01 has suggested be followed for a couple of days

             to avoid hole before hanging a right for Rodney Bay.

11.00    EH01 slowly pulling away ahead of us, should lose her in

             an hour. 

12.00    Noon position 19.24N 35.01W.  Sunny with cloud . Weather

             warming up now. FN

13.15   With batteries fully charged Generator switched off (4.75hrs run). FN

14.00   19.17N 35.09W. Daily Roll Call  FN

14.30   Spoke on SSB with Blue Flyer and Bernadette (both on our pontoon

            in Las Palmas) following roll call. Bernadette advised they had

            similar weather information to EH01 and gave their position as

            some 10 miles NE of us with a bearing of 255degrees which their skipper

            John thought would be enough to get them around the hole in front.

            Blue Flyer who were very weak are on the same bearing. They suggested

            we all schedule to talk on frequency 4,402.0, Channel 4-7 at 18.00 UTC.

15.50   COG 240 degrees SOG 7.8kts Wind true ENE 17kts   FN

18.00  18.59N 35.35W   True wind speed 8-10kts. SOG 4.3ts. 18.05 Decided

            to run donkey for an hour. Ray starts to prepare the evening dinner.

            Spoke with Blue Flyer and Bernadette on SSB  FN

19.05   Put engine out of gear. (one hour’s motor sailing)

20.30   Stopped engine. Boat on a reach doing some 5.4 kts.

19.45   Dinner served. Starter: Prawn cocktail, main course Dorade in garlic

            with rice. The main course was accompanied by white table wine.

            For dessert this evening was so memorable I cannot remember what

            it was. MS & EMc  washed and dried.

21.00  Watches for next four nights: 21 – 00 MS/ 00 – 03FN / 03-06 EMc

            / 06-09 RT 

           True wind speed 11kts, Bearing 240 degrees SOG 6kts.

          . 

22.10   Wind generally 08-10kts, boat speed 4 – 5.5kts on a reach. Squall

            came through doubling wind speed. Reefed in main and genoa until

            gone through. Nothing sighted during Watch  MS

00.00  18.37N 33.58W.  Distance covered over past twenty four hours

            -  148 nm  FN