Bermuda Bound

Wandering Dream
Steve Litson
Tue 19 Apr 2016 16:56
19:11:8N 062:10:3W
 
Tuesday 19th April 2016
 
Poor Progress
We had a mix of weather during the night. It rained most of the time and the wind gradually shifted around all points of the compass. Currently it is coming form the North which is the direction we want to go, so not great. Hopefully it will move around, so we can point a little closer to our course.
 
Bad Battery Charging
The engine didn’t charge again yesterday, not sure why. I turned off and on the battery switch this morning, checked some wires and it started charging the batteries again. Thank goodness it now works, but concerning.
 
Fascinating Frigate Birds
The Frigate Bird colony was amazing! Thirty to thirty five thousand frigate birds. The locals call them the weather birds as they predict if a hurricane is coming. They flock together and soar higher and higher until they are so high, they are above the hurricane. They even stop laying eggs a good six months before, so that the chicks have a chance to fly before the hurricane strikes. Not sure there is any scientific substance to this! They only lay one egg per year and the male raises the chick. Mum goes off hunting for food. Although they are big, they only weigh about 500g – 1kg consisting mostly of feathers. We were told all this by Clifford, a local we met on the beach and persuaded him to take us to the colony. He took us in his boat through the lagoon, then stopped the engine, hopped over the side and waded along pulling the boat, quietly telling us all he knew about the birds and life on Barbuda. “Aren’t those jelly fish?” asked Jen. “Yes, the only sting a bit and I’m used to it.” Answered Clifford. A fascinating morning.
 
Nothing But Sea
We haven’t seen another living thing since being waved off by a Swedish boat that anchored near us in Barbuda. Not even a ship on AIS. We have sent in the required registration e-form for clearance and coastguard checking as we arrive. They will probably be our next human contact in a week and a bit.
 
Miles since we set off 22 hours ago: 100 miles
Miles to Bermuda: 800 miles.