17:08.963N 062:37.894W

Whisper
Noel Dilly
Fri 22 Mar 2013 00:28
"Nevis - 20th March"

After a tranquil night at anchor, we were up for an early breakfast and on our way by 7:30am.  Our course to Nevis was almost due east and with a following wind, we soon had the sails out with the main rigged with a "preventer".  It was a great sail, the feel of the water trembling over the tiller as we surfed along the waves, followed by the crash of the breaking wave as it escaped from under us on our starboard side was very pleasureable.  Trying to keep the wind in the foresail took a lot of concentration, one minute the pressure was on the tiller and all was well, then completely out of any rythm, the swell knocked the wind out of the sail and the feeling on the tiller was momentarily lost.  Despite my wavering course, we cruised along at 5-6 knots, sometimes 8 appeared on the screen!  We were a little below our course and at one time wondered if we would pass to the north of Redonda, it looked dubious, but the wind came round a little and we made a better heading towards Nevis.  Apart from a tanker and one yacht heading north, we had the sea to ourselves.  I don't know why it is, but as is normal for yachtsmen whether they be mooring in a berth, picking up a buoy or anchoring, the wind always gets up.  It happened to us today, as we came up the west coast of Nevis, supposedly in the lee of the island and approached the moorings, the wind funnelled down off the mountain at some 30 knots!  Luckily all went well dropping the sails and we picked up the mooring first time.  All the other boats were straining on their lines and once secure I was glad to get below out of the wind. As the sun started to go down,  the wind dropped and we were left limply lying on our buoy with it gently bumping the hull.

We watched intently for the notorious illusive 'green flash' as the sun went down, neither of us has seen it before and wonder if it really exists.  It has been suggested that one needs to be high up to see it, because of the waves on the horizon.  With this in mind I stood on the coach roof, Noel stayed in the cockpit and did not see anything.  I however did see green, not a flash, but the very last tip of the curve of the sun went green as it sunk below the horizon, unless I hear to the contary, I assume that must have been "IT"!  We shall watch again tomorrow and this time Noel will be on the coach roof too!

It has been a very hot day sunny day and I was very pleased to have the use of a wide brimmed floppy Musto hat.  Thank you for lending me your hat Dean, I'll drop it off at Littlehampton!