If you glance at Moonstone’s position on the Mailasail’s google earth link you will notice that we are in Tobago instead of on the high seas. 

 

We changed our sailing plan at around midnight last night when we decided in favour of safety and turned Moonstone north to run with the wind !   On our journey south we had faced a contra current of 2 to 3 knots and sailed into a 30 knot wind that was on our nose.  We had been making barely 1.5 knots over the ground in the direction of Guyana.  Conditions had deteriorated with heavy rain, lightning and wind gusts over 42 knots creating a big sea - nothing like the forecasted, almost ideal, 15 knot easterly breeze.

 

Our change of heart occurred midway down and 40 miles off the east coast of Trinidad and the diversion to Tobago trip took another 12 hours.

 

So tonight we are anchored in Store Bay on the western tip of the island and weather permitting tomorrow we will sail to the other end of the island to Charlotteville where we will take stock of our situation and decide if another attempt south is feasible or to stay and enjoy more of beautiful Tobago.