English Harbour, Antigua, W.I. to Bonaire, Dutch Antilles, Day 4

Bootlegger of Mann
Frank Newton
Tue 4 May 2010 20:35
Bootlegger of Mann Log

02 05 10

12:09.166N 68:16.741W

Passage: English Harbour, Antigua, W.I. to Curacao, via Bonaire,
Netherlands Antilles – Day 4 ( Sun. 020510 )

00:00 12:42N 67.21W 21:00 to 00:00 Watch changeover KN to FN. Nothing
reported.

Wind: ESE 17 kts SOG 8.2 kts CSE 244 degrees/ DTG 69 nm Distance done 411nm.

01:30 Sighted two vessels on AIS both on convergance courses: the
'Christine C' 8 nm to port bearing 142 degrees on a course of 288 degrees
and doing 11 kn. The other is a vessel named 'Ambitious Sky' showing an
MMSI # 6360141 3 20nm to port bearing 131 degrees and on a course of 292
degrees with a boat speed of 14.8 kn. I called up the 'Christine C' and
had a response from an East European. He confirmed they had me sighted,
presumably on radar. I explained I was a sailing yacht under sail and a
course change for me would not be easy.He kindly offered to change his
course to starboard which he did to 303 degrees. Both carriers passed
safely astern some time later.

03:30 12:26N 67.40W Watch changeover FN to KN, Wind 17 kn apparent; SOG
7.4kn CSE 48 degrees DTG: 45.05 nm. Distance done: 435 nm.

06:15 12:12.489N 67:57.52W Ship sighted on AIS bearing 290 degrees; 9 nm
distant: name ‘BBC EMS’ (SOG 23.7kn COG: 113 degrees).

06:27 Land sighted off Starboard bow. Shortly afterwards a lighthouse and
tall wind generator.

Beautiful morning clear blue skies and favourable wind SE 18 kn as we
close on the southern tip of Bonaire. We brought in the genny and gibed
main and mizzen as we rounded the southern tip of the island and headed up
towards its ‘capital’ Kralendijk. There was little to concern ourselves
with the approaches to town and the island’s only mooring area as all the
coastline features deep water with no lurking nasties. All the island’s
coastal areas are controlled by the National Parls Authority and are duly
designated a conservation area with anchoring banned everywhere.

We cautiously approached the North Pier lying off the town centre. Had a
peek inside this tiny harbour but no room. We moved over towards Nautico
Bonaire ‘marina’ where we picked up a mooring that lay amongst a number of
yachts similarly moored.

11:00 12:09.166N 68:16.741W. F.W. E. After tidying up boat we both took a
swim; Karl did some filming with the w/proof HD video camera. We then had
a ham salad lunch.

It has been a successful trip so far. We have covered some 500 nm in just
2 days 20 hours, or 68 hrs in total. This gave an average speed over the
passage of 7.3 kn achieving some 170 nm a day (24hrs)