Final day at sea

Catou
Paul and Sylvie Tucker
Wed 15 Dec 2010 16:36
 
14:15.42N 58:35.09W
 
Wednesday 15th December (Day 24)
 
Clocks retarded 1 hour this morning to GMT - 4 hours.  (Standard Eastern Caribbean time).
 
Noon Position:                   14 deg 15'N    58 deg 35'W
Daily Run:                           146'  (25 hours)
Average Speed:                    5.84 Knots
Total Average Speed:           5.30 Knots 
Total Distance covered:       3075'
Distance to go:                       138'
No. motoring hours:                 65.6 hours
ETA: St Lucia (Pigeon Point)       @ 6 Knots  1145 hrs
                                                    @ 5.5  "     1350 hrs
                                                    @ 5     "     1615 hrs
We have had a wonderful  2nd half of the crossing with perfect winds for the last 5 days.  The nights have also been a wonderful time to be on watch.  The moon has been getting earlier and brighter each night, giving a lovely light to the night watches.  We have been sailing down the moonbeam for several nights now!  Also from the heavens - the shooting stars are always more conspicuous in the tropics - and there have been some really fantastic views of them streaking across the sky and leaving a trail that might just last a second and no more. One wonders what early man must have thought of them thousands of years ago?
 
Still no dolphins since we passed north of the Cape Verde islands some 2 weeks ago.  This morning we have started to see flocks of large gannet-like birds, which have been circling 'Catou' with a beady eye on anything we might throw overboard!
 
Final preparations are being made on board.  A clean up operation and some deck scrubbing is taking place.  Cockpit lockers have to be emptied, and their contents moved around to reflect their order of importance in port!  For example we have to find the sun awning (not sure where it went after we left Las Palmas!).  Sylvie has the bit between her teeth re: laundry, dusting, washing down & shaking everything in sight, while Ben is scrubbing the toe-rail!
 
It is stifling hot on board today!  We envy you all in the cold English winter! 
 
I may not get a blog done tomorrow, due to arrival time, but promise to in next day or two - together, I hope with some pictures.  Sadly I have lost all mine when I camera was ruined, but we hope to download some from Sylvie's camera.  Ben almost has his bags packed, in preparation for his family's arrival on the pontoon tomorrow! We asked him if he can just remember to tie up the for'd line on a pontoon cleat as he jumps ashore to see his lovely little girls.
 
Thanks to you all for reading, and hope you have enjoyed it.  Many thanks for all your comments and replies.  Many thanks to Brian and Pam, who are kindly bringing some urgently needed spares for Catou (+ of course, my new blackberry!).  Brian has been a great help in phoning up some marine supply companies and asking them questions about certain pieces or equipment on board that 'require attention'! He has then been relaying the answers back to us on board.  This modern communication system is truly amazing, and has enabled us to keep in touch, order parts as needed - from mid-Atlantic, to do the blogs, and to download the most amazingly accurate GRIB weather forecasts.  The satellite system is very good, though, as you would expect, not exactly cheap!
Best wishes, Paul, Sylvie and Ben