Day 29 - Passage to the Caribbean
Misterx
Wed 30 Apr 2025 01:03
29/04/25
8:30 pm
Day 29
North Atlantic Ocean
DTD to Trinidad: 770 NM (122NM)
We've been stonking along today, we must have reached the favourable current, finally, and not a minute too soon. We are now getting boat speed in line with what you would expect with the wind speed between 15/20 knots, We've been doing well over 5/5.5 knots of boat speed all day, with now and then a big fat 6, and it shows. Every little helps. Hopefully it will carry on for a while longer. The wind has been very steady and the waves are down, only a 2.2m swell. Although we are still getting the odd huge rogue wave over the coach roof, or in the cockpit, but it is now so seldom that I jump out of my skin every time. With the sea flattened we are having a much more confortable ride. Still not up to make yogurt... in this swell it would never set!
Both our Weather Gurus are predicting pretty much of the same conditions for the next few days, NE\ENE16 gusts 22. Then
"As you move closer to the Caribbean, you will begin to feel the influence of a large and persistent TROF in the sub-Tropical W Atlantic, which is reducing pressure gradient in the Tropics.
Beginning over the weekend of Sat3-Sun4 you will notice a gradual drop in wind speed (into mid-teens and eventually low teens, with some (brief) periods dropping under 10k in the week of Mon5, and wind veers to an average due-E direction (occasionally even ESE), and wind becomes much more variable in both strength and direction."
Better make the most of the wind if it is not going to last...
Since we are going so well, we have postponed putting the new genoa on for the moment, especially as the wind is forecast to drop by the weekend, we'll be able to do it then. We have however taken it out from under the bunk where it was stored... and of course, we've had to get everything out of the aft cabin to do so... inflatable kayak, emergency rudder, storm jib, asymmetric spinnaker, deck chair, boxes of food, etc... everything had to come out.... we filled the saloon... amazingly, everything went back in without trouble... apart from the odd mumbled swear words as Ian battled to fit the deck chair back in... in full Mutley's mode! I was pleased that we had stored both the standard floor lamps some place else, that would have sent him over the edge!
Sponge Bob Square Pants has been doing his duty religiously every 4 hours and so far so good, no increase in the level of water taken out. As for the weeds, the amount harvested varies, we do now have huge stretches of sea without the full carpet of Sargasso. Guessing that the wind and waves breaks it up and it will need a period of calm weather to allow it to reform.
Less than 800nm to go, nearly there!
M