Day 15
Oyster Moon
Paul Foskett & Rhu Nash
Sun 11 Dec 2011 12:27
Day 15 on the 11th December 2011
>From 12.00 UTC on the 0th, to Noon on the 11th December, distance travelled Noon to noon run was 156 miles (log 10676)
Distance to go to just south of the island is 186miles.
24 hour sailing report
The wind speed varied from 3 knots up to 10 knots during the last 24 hours. We have gone from sailing to motor sailing, back to sailing, back to motor sailing, and finally back to motor sailing again. As you can see the last 24 hours has been very variable.
We have had rain squalls all this morning 11h, some passing directly over us and other missing us.
The latest weather forecast gave little wind for the last 24 hours and the same for the next 48 hours.
So the last 24 hours has been a combination of sailing and motor sailing. This has made the sailing /motoring slow again, as can be seen in the noon to noon distance.
We had to make one of those decisions today, which was not that difficult to make in view of the predicted wind speeds over the next 48 hours.
The decision was to try sailing with a boat speed of 3 to 4 knots and spend two more nights at sea before getting to Antigua, or motor sailing and only have to spend one more night at sea. A most difficult decision as you can imagine!!! Well which do you think we have plumped for?
Well motor sailing won outright.
So with a bit of luck we should be in Antigua either anchored or tied up within the next 36 hour. I will keep you posted on the next blog.
Not much wild life again day today, just flying fish and a few sea birds.
We are now sailing in company with three other boats, Moin a German boat about 40 feet long, and Marite 111 also 40 feet and Karacool the 53 foot CAT who is also one of our group boats.
We all left within about an hour of each other. Karacool is now 171 miles ahead of us in Oyster Moon. They can now see Antigua and should be in Jolly Harbour later this morning or early afternoon. What a great sail from Karacool.
Moin is about 139 miles behind with Marita 111 about 113 miles behind us.
More news on the next noon report
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