17:20.297N  024:25.862W    943 nautical miles sailed, 40 to go.

Slightly more eventful couple of days!  Winds and waves still working with us so we were making good progress and hoping to reach Mindelo in daylight today (Wednesday).  By 0600 this morning it was looking touch and go so, rather than slow down and spend another night at sea so that we could arrive early morning, we decided to put the engine on and top up our speed a touch.  It wouldn’t take much to guarantee our arrival time.

Engine on.  Into gear.  Engine dies.  Ah.  Try again.  Same.  Try again only leave in neutral while increasing the revs.  No problem.  Investigate engine, engine compartment and back locker that the hoses run through.  Possible a hose trapped.  Lift out spare water jerrycans, floats, fenders, paints, swimming gear, emergency bilge pump and hose and more all while going from side to side on the rolly swell.  Try engine. It works.  Hurray!  Clever us.  Increase revs, strange knocking noise and observation that speed not increased.  Peer over back, no wash from the prop.  We know what this means.  Something wrapped round the prop.  Peer into water, something trailing about 3ft in the water.  Boathook to grab it and identify as thick green nylon fishing net.  Nightmare.  We have a rope cutter mounted on the prop which tackles most things but this was clearly too much for it.

Stop the boat, as much as you can in 20 knots of wind, by putting the sails away.  Open up the back of the boat that has been well barricaded in to protect from breaking waves.  Discuss whether it should be Mike or Carol who goes over.  Mike gets the job.  Swimmers, mask, fins, safety harness, fender as float and float line.  All set.  Water warmer than expected so that was good.  Swell of 1-2 metres so that was bad.  7 or 8 dives under the boat and Mike managed to cut off a lot of net but not all of it and the rise and fall of the boat in the swell made it difficult bordering on dangerous so we stopped and got everything back on board.  Including Mike which was not easy because the swimming ladder is out of commission holding our barrel for rubbish.

Plenty of wind so no problem sailing to Mindelo but the thought of going in the dark with no engine is less appealing.   Current options are to anchor under sail just outside the marina or for the marina tender to come out and tow us in.  Michael and Kit phoned at just the right moment so they will recce those options for us and call at 1600.  Flat water in an anchorage or a marina is all that is needed for a proper inspection and removal of net.

How incredibly unlucky is that?  We haven’t seen another boat for three days and yet ours goes over a bit of net that clobbers the prop.

Hot shower, breakfast and morale fully restored.  All in the life of the cruising sailor.