en route to Panama day 2 local noon position

Wanderings
Kevin & Susie Harris
Wed 3 Feb 2016 19:40
Where are the Trades?

After a short detour to exchange three very rusty camping gaz bottles for
some slightly less dubious ones at a tiny boatyard east of the eponymous
fort of Forte de France Temptress motored out to sea. Initially we blamed
the bulk of Martinique's mountains for coming between us and the wind, later
we blamed a weather front and today over 24 hours later we have simply run
out of ideas why the usually reliable Easterly F4-5 trade winds are
currently a less than impressive F2-3 or less.

All is well on board if a little hot and sticky in the light winds. By noon
today Wednesday 3 February we had managed a measly 125 nm but have read
plenty, eaten well and spent a lot of time trying to improve our fishing
techniques; to no avail so far but we live in hope. The big blue and white
spinnaker went up midmorning in an attempt to lift our speed above 3 knots
but after lunch even that wasn't filling so we doused all sail and went for
a swim instead. The deep blue water was amazing clear but the swimmers (only
two in the water at a time for safetly) required a rope to hold onto as the
silver lining in all this is that we do seem to have a knot or so of current
pushing us in the right direction!