Barbados

Rum Punches and Pina Coladas

3rd - 15th January 2011

After a  rather short, ( we stayed up till about 2am  celebrating our arrival) and broken  night’s sleep, (we had one ear  listening to the VHF for when ‘Tehani Li” and “Samsara” arrived), we awoke to the long awaited sight  of  a white sand beach and the sparkling azure waters of Carlisle bay, Bridgetown.  It was a welcome sight after a couple of weeks of staring at nothing but endless ocean.

 Not wanting to be caught in a queue, we were up early to move the boat over to the customs dock for our check-in.  Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, isn’t very well set up to process yachts as precious few stop here after an Atlantic passage. Most seem to push on the extra 90 miles to one of the other islands, which in our opinion is a bit of a shame as it is a lovely island and way too hard to beat back to once you’ve gone past. The port area is designed to accommodate the many cruise ships that call in on their routes around the Caribbean islands and the docks are tall concrete and very user unfriendly for the likes of us. As we had heard that there can be quite a surge in the harbour we enlisted the help of the crew from “Stardust” to help hold ourselves off from the wall while Liam took the boat papers into the officials. Check in was very easy and you pay a flat charge of $ 50 US when you leave.

The gap between the  cruise ships  is the customs dock



Karel takes a big leap down to "Tehani - Li" 



With the formalities taken care of it was time to chill out and soak up what we had sailed thousands of miles to find. The first few days we were still very very tired and having a little siesta in the arvo was not uncommon.

Over the next 12 days we explored the island, swam and snorkeled in the clear waters, caught up with friends and exchanged stories of our passages.

Dinner at the yacht club

Catching up on the beach



A wonderful setting  and easy pace at the B Y C

A  rather bland  enterance, but a great place to  eat.

Brigetown is a myriad of small streets with lots and lots of shops but strangely, very few restaurants.    (Well we didn’t find too many). That may well be because most of the tourists are either staying in resorts to the north or south of town or are from one of the cruise ships.

Colourful wares in the backstreets of town

Hats are the fashion  here, especially for the boys

 

South of town and only a short taxi ride away  the area of St Lawrence Gap has lots of  bars,  pubs,  restaurants and shops and looks much  more of a happening place for night time outings.

We found the majority of people very friendly, often greeting us with a cheerful “Welcome to Barbados” or striking up a short conversation as you walk down the street. This was such a nice change from the European countries where people just seem way too busy for everyday pleasantries. 

.After being cooped up on the boat for a few weeks it was “time to get out of Dodge”, so in true cruiser spirit  we gathered up a few friends, (Stardust, Samsara, No Rehearsal’s kids Jay and Lisa, and Benoit from Tehani –Li) and booked a day trip around the island. Our driver/ guide was a nice fellow named Antonio who had been recommended to us by the chief of port security. Antonio certainly new his stuff and was a fountain of knowledge giving us the history and statistics of just about everything we saw.

 Driving up the west coast the beautiful beaches, golf courses and luxury resorts where rock stars and royalty holiday were stunning. Homes of the rich and famous including those of Sean Connery and Cliff Richards were amongst the mansions in the huge estate parks of the coastal towns around Holetown and Speightstown .These areas were such a contrast to the ramshackle houses of Bridgetown that it was hard to believe we were on the same island.

Not quite the abode of the rich & famous

The small church of St James



Inside the church



We had a brief  but interesting stop at the small church of St James which was built back in 1628. The interior of beautiful mahogany has been immaculately maintained and lucky for us the curator was on hand to give us a little of the church’s history as well.

The boys in our troupe must have looked a bit bored in the church, so with Antonio sensing this and guessing correctly that our men folk could be a tad thirsty he suggested that we pull over for quick refreshment stop at a tiny beach bar along the way. The boys chatted with a few of the locals, though the tread of the conversation was a little lost at times and the girls perused the fishermen’s catch of the day on display at the back of the bar.

Lisa & Jay

David  chatting with one of the locals



Good size Tunas





After stretching the legs it was back into the van and from here we turned inland, the road zig zagging through sugarcane fields, and rolling hills till we arrived on the east coast of the island where we stopped for lunch. Unbeknown to us at this time, a major delicacy on any Bajaan menu is the humble Flying Fish and had we realized just how good they were we certainly would have been cooking up all the unfortunate ones that have landed on our decks over the past years!

These flying fish were destined for the table

Another specialty, which seemed rather out of place to us, was  macaroni pie. “Pie” as it is called by the locals, seems to be served with just about any dish you can imagine, a bit like how the English love their chips.

The drive down the rugged east coast was beautiful and we passed many lovely beaches including a major surfing one named the “soup bowl” but to be honest none of our party really gave a rats about looking out at the ocean we had just spent weeks crossing.

( L & R) The rugged east coast





Our happy group of tourists

We made a few other stops including the sea side town of “Oistins” famous for its fish frys (bbq) and then it was back to the boats. We had a great day out and would recommend an island tour to anyone following in our wake.



Colourful fish fry restaurants



Local chefs cooking up a storm at the  fish fry



Playing dominos was a popular pastime

Some other highlights of our time in Barbados included :

• Having a great time one Saturday arvo with the gang from “No Rehearsal” at the horse races. Unfortunately our betting skills leave a lot to be desired and we left the track with lighter pockets than we would have liked.
• Snorkeling and diving the four shallow wrecks that were teeming with sea life and lying right on our doorstep in Carlisle bay. A quick 2 minute dinghy ride and it was all there in front of us.
• Swimming with lots of turtles big and small just off the beach where we were anchored. Now that was cool and something that we had never done before AND they were often spotted swimming just off our transoms as well.
• Watching the race horses swim out past GWTW everyday as part of their exercise regime. We reckon that they swim better than they run!
• Enjoying a meal or two and sipping   pina coladas and rum punches under the trees in the laid back surroundings of the “Barbados Yacht Club”.
• Sitting on the beach with our friends and watching the” Green Flash” happen while partaking in sundowners and chomping down fresh sushi, compliments of the Japanese crew of “Harmony”.
• Riding a local taxi full of Bajans with the “Rasta “music blaring.
• Finally cracking our bottle of 1985 Dom Peringon that we had put on board when we left Australia in April 2006, and it still tasted great.

But the big thing that really stands out about our time on this island was being there to welcome our friends, share in the huge sense of achievement and join in the camaraderie that goes hand in hand when you’ve just crossed one of the world’s most famous oceans.

So after the best part of two weeks it’s still hard to believe that we were finally in the Caribbean.

 The trade winds are a blow’n and the rum punch is a flow’n.

What a way to celebrate !

 Guess we’ll just have to get used to it..  mon!













Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 19

Our noon position on the 2nd of January 2011 was 13.0 N / 57.34 W. Our noon to noon run from 01/01/2011 was 153 miles.

Sunday 2nd January 2011

"The Final Countdown".

Sea birds and fishing trawlers are always a good sign that land is just over the horizon, and we've seen both today.
The wind god's have once again been playing games with us, sometimes there is zip wind and then it strengthens back up to around 15kts.
After motoring for a couple hours last night, ever so slowly the wind built. Early morning saw the mainsail creeping up the mast again. Five  days of rest  was enough. Time to give it one last run before arriving into Barbados. With the jib keeping the main in check for most of the day, the afternoon saw the wind backing towards the north, so it was time to bring out the big guns, aka the screecher. Scooting along with good speeds, this was only the second time since leaving the Cape Verde Islands that we have been able to sail on a beam reach, conditions that are right up our alley.
The seas appear to be calming down and we are now getting lovely long slow swells, a pleasant change from the washing machine effect that we were in yesterday
Not long ago the fishing line "pinged" and we pulled in a 4ft blue marlin. She was a fighter and  took a fair amount of energy to land. As we watched her lying calmly on the transom  with her beautiful colour and sleek form, neither of us had the heart to keep her. After a little minor surgery to remove the hook she was released back to the care of Mother Ocean.

Just to beautiful to keep,Liam lets this one go

Our evening radio sked reported that "Stardust" and "No Rehearsal" are snug as bugs at anchor in Bridgetown, congratulations to them both for making landfall."GWTW", "Samsara" and "Tehani Li" are with in a couple of miles of each other and should all be on the anchor before dawn."White Rose" has found a windless part of the ocean, as we all have at various times and have been motoring for the last 15 hours. They have just over 500 miles to run, approx 3-4 days.
With only 50 miles to landfall and the wind doing its usual stuff, getting lighter, we furled in the screecher and hoisted the kite. Coasting along nicely with a 12 kt breeze doing 9's and 10's suddenly there was a bang and we watched our lovely kite nose dive into the sea. Liam quickly turned the boat to port, effectively blocking the wind and stopping the boat from running over the pretty green and white spinnaker. Annie, the sure footed mountain goat that she is, bounded to the foredeck and started pulling a very soggy kite back on board. Liam wrestled with his end and soon it was back on the deck with no damage. During the commotion the starboard fishing line had become tangled around the port rudder, so on with the mask and snorkel and into the 29 degree water Liam plunged. The lure had become wedged at the tip of the rudder but with a bit of persuasion he was able to free it.
A post incident inspection revealed that the kite halyard was chaffed through just where it sits on the turning block at the hounds.
 We now have a ball of wet salty fabric sitting on the foredeck and a halyard trapped inside the mast.
 Just as an aside, earlier in the day, Samsara also dropped their kite in the water but they are unsure at this time as to whether the cause was the snap shackle or the halyard letting go. "No Rehearsal" had the exact same problem a few days ago.
 Guess that's one more job for the "to do" list.
We continued the rest of the way under mainsail and screecher.
Sunset seemed to linger in the sky just a little longer than usual tonight as if beckoning us toward the Caribbean. The colours were just wonderful, oranges, pinks and yellows with a dusky blue sky above. "Red sky at night, a sailor's delight" Picture perfect for the end of an Atlantic crossing.

Barbados was just beyond the horizon

In the distance the twinkling lights of Barbados are just coming into view. As the night gets darker the nav strobes of arriving and departing aircraft can be easily seen. A large ship is steaming towards the island just a few miles off our port side and the familiar white flash of a lighthouse confirms that we are on track for the signal station at the bottom of the island. More and more lights are now appearing, it's sensory overload after nearly 2 weeks at sea when the only lights we'd see were the occasional ship and the stars above.

At 2325 we called up Bridgetown signal station to announce our arrival and request permission to anchor in Carlisle bay. The well spoken gentleman was more than happy to grant our request.
With that formality complete… We have finished our Atlantic Ocean crossing….and  have  officially arrived in Bridgetown Barbados.
A few minutes later we arrived in the anchorage where Stardust were waiting to greet us . We put the anchor down , cleaned up and popped the bubbly ( and a VB for Liam).

                                     Journey's end. We have arrived in Bridgetown, Barbados


A couple of interesting statistics…

Total passage log  read… 3,153 miles.
Total hours at sea from the Canary Islands to Bridgetown  Barbados, excluding our  down time  in the Cape Verde Islands,  was …17 days 19 hours and 35 minutes.
Average speed… 7.37 kts. ( it was a slow trip)

Well, what a mixed bag of emotions we have right now. It's really hard to put all those feelings into words. Annie shed a few tears of joy and we both shared feelings of enormous relief and satisfaction in actually getting here. Considering the Caribbean has been a serious focal point for some years, it really does represent a fantastic milestone for us,similar to the Red Sea and  the Med, but with no places to stop along  the way.  Having completed our longest passage so far, and realizing we are now in a totally different environment of cultures and climates, we sense a genuine feeling of change.
This is not the Med, it's a diverse combination of  American/African/Latino people living in a bunch of small countries on islands scattered over a relatively short distance. We are swapping ancient walled cities, numerous cathedrals and countless Roman ruins for vast stretches of golden, sandy beaches, lots of palm trees, pina coladas, lobsters, 'till you're sick of them, and noisy steel drum bands…bring it on!
And so a new chapter in our cruising life begins...
Welcome to the Caribbean, Mon!

Atlantic Crossing - Day 18

Our noon position on 1/01/2011 was 12.56 N /55.00 W. Our noon to noon run from the 31/12/2010 was 164 miles.

Saturday 1st January. 2011

New Year's Day, and we are still at sea.

As the clock stuck midnight, Liam popped the cork on the bubbly and our radio crackled into life as Becky from 'Stardust " wished everyone a "Happy New Year". The chorus of well wishes continued as our small group celebrated bringing in the New Year Atlantic Ocean style. On GWTW we sipped our half glass of chilled champagne whilst dancing  under the stars to our old time favorite  boppy tune, the Bee Gees's "Alone". Everyone had hoped to be in Barbados for New Years Eve but that wasn't to be. So there will have to be some serious partying once the gang arrives.

The combination of fresh sea air and the first day of January have brought us renewed appetites and today was a day of serious eating.
 A hearty breakfast is a great way to celebrate the start of the new year and even though our trusty bbq, Liam's preferred method of cooking, has been in hibernation all this trip, we still managed to cook up the full catastrophe in the galley with lashings of tasty bacon, free range eggs and vine ripened tomatoes washed down with the remainder of our champagne cocktails. Now that certainly kept the wolf from the door for the next few hours. Did I say a few hours? Come late afternoon it was time to put the nose bag on again.  Lunch,(like we  really needed more food!), was lightly seasoned,  gently pan fried, sumptuous fillets of recently caught Mahi Mahi served with crisp potato wedges and a fresh garden salad complete with Sicilian sun dried tomatoes , Greek Feta and luscious mango cheeks. A small glass of fruity Portuguese white wine complemented the meal perfectly. Needless to say no dinner, supper or any other food was required for the remainder of the day.

Our daily mileage runs are getting lower and lower as the winds stay light. What happened to  the steady north east trades that were advertised in the brochure !!!

As of this morning's radio sked the distance to run to Barbados of the boats that we are keeping tabs on was "Stardust",( they did jump the gun by 3 days) 82 miles, "No Rehearsal" 120 miles, "GWTW" 231 miles, "Tehani Li" 240miles, and "White Rose" 640 miles.

Our GPS track shows that we are nearly in Barbados

It's been another frustrating day out here on the course. Those ahead are reporting 20kt wind speeds and squalls while back here in the "private windless hole" GWTW  and Tehani Li" are lucky to be getting 10kts, hardly enough to keep the kite full. We may have to resort to horse power yet again. The sea is very sloppy, making for rolly conditions and with little wind  the temperatures are hot. A quick dip in the ocean hasn't been ruled out yet.

Tonight the radar is showing lots of squalls around us, and there are towering clouds with the tell tale signs of rain on the horizon, so as a precaution  the kite has come down. We sure don't fancy tearing it at this late stage of the journey. A fresh water boat wash wouldn't go astray and it would be great to fill our water tanks as well.                                       


                                                       There were squalls in front and behind us



So for the next little while until the wind starts to fill in again we will be listening to the hypnotic sounds of our trusty yanmar engine thumping away.

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 16

Our noon position on 30/12/2010 was 13.13 N /49.36 W. Our noon to noon run from 29/12 was 150 miles.

Thursday 30th December.

The ever shrinking moon, now only a crescent, is not  rising until the early hours of the morning, leaving  us ample time for stargazing and contemplating life while enjoying the balmy breezes on watch. It's a very peaceful pastime and one which we saver for the nights when the city backlights obscure the beautiful night sky.
In good weather, sailing at night is the most wonderful experience. Tonight is one of those nights.

Our trusty radar shows no signs of squalls as we head down through 13 degrees south. It maybe short lived but it's a pleasant change. The wind again is soft and the sea pretty calm.

The daylight hours revealed a sunny clear blue sky, the first cloudless day since leaving the Cape Verde's and that's how it stayed all day long. Beautiful sailing conditions prevailed with light easterlies and gentle swells nugging the transoms and pushing us slowly along.

After 1500 miles the outline of "Tehani Li's" sails popped up over the horizon a few hours ago and she is now  clearly visible a couple of miles down to leeward carrying her kite and poled out jib. So nice to be sailing in company again after all this time and it will make for an interesting night if the breeze stays light.

Ahead and to windward 'No Rehearsal" continues to hold the lead. Last night they reported that a forward hatch on the inside of their port hull failed and the sea began to poor in. Daryl, quick as a flash, secured it closed by screwing plywood across it, to it and any other way that he could to stop the flow of water. They are now taking it pretty steady for the obvious reasons. This is the second failure of an inner hull hatch this year on the Catana. No doubt they will be taking up the issue with the hatch manufacturer! On the 1800 radio sked they mentioned that their day has been spent enjoying the companionship of a whale that has been swimming alongside and under their trampolines for some hours. What a spectacular sight, can't wait to see the photos.

The end of another day at sea and time for a sundowner

Sunset has rolled around again so it's time to break open the bar and have that well earned beverage of choice. With such a clear horizon there is an excellent chance of seeing the "Green Flash".

It would be great to tick that one off the list before the end of 2010

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 15

Our position at noon on the 29th December was 14.03 N / 47.11 W. Our noon to noon run from the 28/12/2010 was 149 miles.

Wednesday 29th December.

In total contrast to yesterday's conditions, last night's were most uneventful. The seas were much calmer and the winds steady. We were able to coast along at a nice pace of 6-7 kts for most of the night. Sleeping conditions down below were tranquil as there were  no loud kathumps from the  waves crashing into the sides of the hull .The absence of squalls / rain  allowed the hatches to be open providing good ventilation and making for a comfortable night's sleep for whoever was off watch.

Our moderate pace has continued today so mid morning we gybed south again in the hope of picking up better wind down near latitude 13 S Shortly after lunch this move was abandoned  as the wind once again changed direction so we gybed back to our original course of  267 T.

Reading books, playing guitar and writing emails was the order of the day. The hours just seem to slip away more quickly when you are at sea and you start to wonder where the day has gone.
Late afternoon the breeze picked up once again and running with the screecher we were achieving  good speeds of 9s' and 10's for s couple of hours.

As dusk approached the familiar light air pattern was upon us yet again. This continued throughout the evening.

The night is shaping up to be another quiet one!

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 14

Our noon position on the 28/12/2010 was 14.19 N/ 44.39 W. Our noon to noon run was 204 miles.

Tuesday December 28th

Talk about a mixed bag of conditions, today we had them all.

As the sun rose, the fiery ball turned the sky a similar colour. Now we all know the old saying "red sky in the morning, a sailors warning", well that saying rang true today.
As the sun climbed higher it disappeared into a grey sky and only had a few cameo appearances from then on.
Last night and this morning we had wonderful sailing conditions. With the wind on our quarter we were trucking along nicely with two reefs in the main and a full jib giving us speeds in the 8-9 knot range, allowing us the longest noon to noon run so far of  204 miles and leaving us only 878 miles to our destination. No sooner had we started to enjoy the ride, the weather went pear shaped.

Our radar shows squalls all around us

All around the horizon were squall lines. It looked like a scene from "The March of the Penguins". And they just kept coming all day. Fortunately most passed by us.

A few gave our decks a much needed wash but at the same time took what wind we had  away and usually changed the direction of the swell, turning the sea into a churning washing machine and giving  the waves  no steady path to follow. Luckily we have not had the increased winds accompanying the squalls as has been the case with a couple of the other boats near by. "No Rehearsal" reported a squall with winds of  30kts.

Now we are sailing dead downwind and  we are running only a forward sail and no main. It has been a juggling act all day between having the jib or the screecher out.

Just as another squall came up from behind, we doused the screecher and abandoned play for a few minutes. Under bare poles we were mooching along nicely at 6 kts. Now the bare pole routine would certainly solve the squall problem, just don't think the skipper would buy the concept!

As quick as these squalls approach they are gone, time for the jib to be unfurled again. Everyone out here really has to be on their toes with these nasty squalls about and the radar is invaluable in these situations.

There have been a few more reports of gear failure from a couple of boats. Along with 'Steel Sapphire', 'West by North' have also had their auto pilot fail. They are now hand steering to the Cape Verde's where they hope to have the replacement parts flown in.

"Tehani Li", who we  finally over took last night, reported that a couple of hours ago they  broke their spinnaker pole and "Uuma" has a broken lift pump on their engine and are also diverting to the Cape Verde's.

Touch wood, all the systems on GWTW, as well as her crew, are still in working order.

While everyone cruising usually has a tightish budget, our decision to purchase a back up auto pilot in Gibraltar appears to have been a good one.
Of all the systems on your boat, the last one that you would ever want to loose is your autopilot, as this piece of engineering actually represents an extra crew member.

Hand steering across any ocean just doesn't bear thinking about!

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 13

Our position at noon on the 27/12/2010 was 14.14 N /41.10 W. Our noon to noon run from 26/12 was 196 miles.

Monday 27th December.

So what does surfing down a wave at 18 kts feel like?…It feels damn fast. If you have been to Disneyland and ridden "Space Mountain", that's also  what it fees like, except on the GWTW ride there are no seat belts to hold you in.!

Since yesterday afternoon and through the night the Trades have really been pushing us along. GWTW is rocketing forward and when she gets up on a wave like she just did, its wooshka!
Our 196 mile run for the past 24 hrs has been the best so far.

Another beautiful sunrise

 From early yesterday our sail configuration has remained the same, a single reefed main and full jib. Looking out from the cockpit the seas are steadily increasing in height, the overall view is 2-3 meter white capped waves, occasionally breaking. This is not a place for the faint hearted and you certainly need a high level of confidence in the integrity of your boat. The wind is also increasing and we are now regularly seeing the apparent wind in the 17 -23 kts range. Nearly time to pull in that second reef.

Despite the accelerated conditions the comfort level on board is still very pleasant, though sometimes the nerves get a little frayed. These lively conditions are predicted to be with us for the next few days.
Around sunset yesterday we had a radio call from another boat in our fleet, the Kiwi flagged yacht "Baracca". She had left the Cape Verde's the day before us and she was now abeam and seven miles to leeward. Although our encounter was brief it was nice to see another yacht out here in this vast ocean.
The only other two boats we are likely to come across before we make land fall are "No Rehearsals and Tehani Li".

The night sky was exceptionally clear in the early hours of this morning and gazing out toward the horizon on our port side a more than familiar sight shone brightly.  There she was, The Southern Cross. Liam and I both felt like we'd just bumped into an old and dear friend, one whom we had not seen for several years. It was a comforting feeling given that we are in the middle of the Atlantic and over a thousand miles from land.

It's 1900 UTC and as I type we have just crossed the half way point in our journey between the Cape Verde Islands and Barbados. Our ships clocks have been set back by yet another hour making our day just a little longer. Our time zone is now UTC minus two hours.
 The miles are ticking over and it should all be downhill from here.

 The steel drums are a calling us!

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 12

Our position at noon on 26/12/2010 was 14.26N / 37.47 W. The noon to noon run from 25/12/2010 was 130 miles.

26th December

Checking the radar at 0400 revealed a couple of large purple patches moving quickly up behind us. Looking out from the cockpit it was easy to see the thick cloud formations of squalls. One of the closer ones definitely contained rain, the dark curtain reaching downwards towards the sea was a dead give away. In a bit of a scramble all the hatches and ports were hastily closed.  The air temperature dropped with a sensation that someone had just opened the fridge door.  We were lucky that this squall floated on past us, unlike some of the boats that left the Canary Islands in late November and sustained major sail damage. The past couple of nights have seen these cells becoming a nightly occurrence, so we are always a little wary.

Today's sailing has been quite good with the nor'easter steadily building to the 15 - 20 Knt range. The screecher made a very brief appearance mid morning until the wind readout showed speeds in excess of 23kts apparent, which was well above our 18 Knt threshold for this sail.  The main was reefed, the jib unfurled and the boat settled down nicely. The decision to shorten sail was a very good call.
Conditions last night were downwind and fairly light, resulting in GWTW  having slower boat speeds than are the norm. "No Rehearsal" carried their cruising chute which allowed them to run particularly well downwind, this morning they were 80 miles ahead. "Tehani Li" also made ground on us during the night and are now roughly 40 miles in front.
With only 1200 miles left to run to Bridgetown, Barbados we feel that we've made a huge dent in the passage and in a day or so we will have passed the halfway mark.

The fishing lines were trolling out the back for most of the day, and late this arvo we hooked a very good sized Mahi Mahi. Finally the drought had broken! Since leaving Gibralter and the Med some 2,200 miles ago this is only the second fish we've caught. There are many theories on what type of lure to use, what colour lure works best, how far behind the boat the lure should trail etc, etc. But we reckon that most times it's just the luck of the draw.

A good size Mahi Mahi

So once again seafood is back on the menu. We now have enough fish for at least 3 or 4 meals.
The lamb that was destined to be dinner  tonight just got the thumbs down from the skipper.
It will be a fish feast instead.

 Nothing is more alluring than the smell of sizzling pan fried fresh Mahi, Mahi

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 11

"Christmas Day 2010"

Our position at 1200 on 25/12/2010 was 15.12N /35.42W. Our noon to noon run from 24/12 was 176 Miles

HO. HO,HO, we hope that you have had a wonderful day  out there with just the right amount of seafood, turkey  or  pork and some wonderful bubbly to wash it all down. Annie cooked up a right storm here in the galley today, don't know why we keep putting on weight! The only thing we truly missed was some bbq king prawns, but we've definitely consumed our fair share over the past years.

Late last evening we took the decision to again head on a southerly course. Our excellent  land based  weather guru, Mark from  "Team Balvenie",  had just sent through the latest forecast and  this combined with the grib weather which comes to us via our HF  radio , same way that we receive emails, completed the picture for the upcoming few days.

A few bubbles to start the day

The screecher was put to bed, a line secured to the  boom to prevent any an involuntary gybes, now that would ruin our day, and off we went on a course of  263T with very respectable speeds between 6- 8 knots. We were rewarded with a peaceful off watch , and a good night's sleep. Dawn found us still slipping downwind at a modest pace in a softening breeze towards Barbados mon.

Obviously Santa had sneaked in during the night as `the Skipper awoke to  a saloon where the elves had been hard at work in the early hours. With  prezzies under the tree he was over the moon at finding a couple of stubbies of VB as well as a few other goodies. A celebratory   glass of chilled champers was enjoyed during the morning's radio sked as the wishes for a lovely day floated across the airways. Then it was back to bed for the off watch 'till lunch time.  The conditions could not have been better for a Christmas at sea.

                                              A snapshot of our Christmas day mid Atlantic

Meanwhile back on the  racing front. Well you may ask , where are the leaders of the pack??. According to this morning's radio sked it appeared that we had squeezed past Tehani Li and the big Beneteau, Bondi Tram during the hours of darkness. The  Catana 52 " No Rehearsals"  failed to report in though we suspect they are around 50 mls ahead. With freshening breezes forecast over the next few days it will be interesting to see if we can close the gap…bear in mind the Catana 52 is not a slow boat!!

If conditions allow,  then tomorrow we will hoist the kite and see what that brings .. as today our focus was more intent on chicken and champagne sailing.

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 10

"Christmas Eve Edition 2010"

Our noon position on 24/12/2010 was 15.27 N /32.49 W. Our noon to noon run from 23/12/2010 was 177 miles.
.
In years `gone by, that is pre 2006, Christmas Eve  afternoon was spent enjoying a long lunch and a QLD( quiet little drink) with ex GWTW racing friends.  The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia at Rushcutters Bay, the home of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race was the venue.  After a nice bistro meal on the deck overlooking the marina, a stroll amongst the Sydney - Hobart line honour hopefuls was the tradition. As our old crew perused the maxis and the downhill flyers they made "informed comments" on such things as halyard tensions, winch placement and race attire and were always happy to offer advice on tactics as well as give words of encouragement to the crews. Or in reality, just anyone prepared to listen!  After all we were Hobart race veterans, well we'd done one, back in 1994, the 50th anniversary classic with over 250 yachts on the start line. Doesn't that make us experts?

So here we are on Christmas Eve in the middle of the Atlantic reminiscing.

But hey enough of that, we have our own Trans Atlantic race happening out here and it's neck and neck with the big guns, "Bondi Tram", "Tehani Li" and "No Rehearsal". Following our genius  gybe south (into hell) a few nights ago that cost us around 60 miles, we are now clawing our way back, having picked up nearly  100 miles in the last two days "GWTW" is breathing down the necks of the leaders. Tomorrow's radio sked will reveal all.

After being at sea for the last four days we have settled into a nice pattern of sleeping and eating and sleeping and eating, with a bit of guitar playing and book reading in between. GWTW is slipping along nicely and at times her motion is so smooth you would think that you were sitting in a 747, the past 24hrs have been indeed just that.

Winds have been steady in the 12 - 17 knot range .The east component of the wind is keeping us north of the rhumb line and forcing us to sail deep and slower than we might like. Tomorrow we will try going wing and wing. This has worked in the past for us but is substantially harder to do than on a mono as `we do not carry spinnaker poles. It takes a lot of finessing.

Meanwhile our freezer stocks are slowly reducing, thus freeing up some space. Come Boxing Day, much to Liam's joy, the fishing lines can at last be deployed. Look out fish I say!
We may be at sea but some things never change, and Christmas lunch on board GWTW is one of them.. Tomorrow's Christmas lunch menu will start with a light champagne cocktail and an appetizer of smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers. This will be followed by a  main course of oven roasted Spanish chicken accompanied by cockpit grown rosemary with roast potatoes, pumpkin, carrots  an assortment of greens. A traditional sage and onion gravy will be served on the side. Boiled mixed fruit pudding and custard will follow.
A cheeky New Zealand Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc will top the meal of nicely, don't you think?

 Tonight we will be checking our AIS regularly for signs of the red flashing lights of a sleigh moving southbound at speeds of over 30 kts... the carrots will be ready on the transoms and a glass of beer on the table for the captain in the bright red suit… who knows what sort of nautical goodies will be in his sack.
So wherever you are, be it on land or on the water, from Annie and Liam on GWTW, we wish you a very safe and happy Christmas 2010.

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 9

Our position at noon on the 23/12/2010 was 15.13 N/ 29.39 W. Our noon to noon run from 22/12 was 175 miles

Steady winds have been giving us an excellent ride so far. Our main auto pilot is set to steer on a wind angle rather than just a compass course so as the wind bends the boat follows with minimal trimming necessary. As wonderful as this system is it has slowly been taking us a little too far to the north.

Just after dinner last evening we gybed the boat onto a more southerly course .To make landfall in Barbados we have to make our way south to latitude 13 degrees, unless we want to bump into the hard stuff further north which we really don't want to do.

Even though there have been  no yachts or ships around us at night we are still on our toes with keeping a lookout, as you  never know what will pop up just over the horizon.. Again the early hours before dawn saw the wind lighten and slowly back around to the point where we would soon be sailing back towards the African coast. As much as we like Africa it is not on this season's cruising itinerary .Another gybe back to the west quickly rectified the situation.  Not long after, the wind got lighter and lighter and abruptly stopped. The main was reined in, the jib furled and the horses came out of the barn for a two hour canter.

The morning radio call revealed that Tehani Li and No Rehearsals are still at the front line of our pack having increased their leads as we gybed south for a few hours.  Further back in the fleet a 50 footer, "Steel Sapphire"  have had their auto pilot fail and are now hand steering. It is unclear as to whether they are carrying a back up unit.

With the wind increasing and the sea calming a little we unrolled the screecher, shook the reef out of the main and picked up speed to make up the ground that we lost last night. GWTW is once again sitting on speeds of 8 to 10 knots, occasionally surfing down a wave at 12 or 13 and generally revelling in the fresh winds.

As we both have a fetish for Chinese food and are suffering badly from withdrawals, tonight Annie is cooking up a batch of sweet and sour pork with jasmine rice. For sure there will be no leftovers.
The day is drawing to a close and the skipper has just poured our favorite beverages, a gin and tonic for Annie and an icy cold San Miguel for himself.
So it's time to sign off and watch the sun drop down below the vast ocean we call the Atlantic.
And don't those first couple of sips taste great!

Atlantic Crossing Part 2 - Day 8

Our noon position on 22/12/ 2010 was 16.21N / 27.21W. Our  mileage run from 1540 on the 21/12  to noon today was 176 miles.

The miles certainly roll by when you are hooting along with the trade winds. Our GPS tells us (but do we believe it) that at the speed we are going we will be sipping pina coladas under a palm tree in  ten days or less, yee ha !

The reality is the weather god's will make up their own minds and then we will just be a pawn in their hands.
At present we are still sailing with one reef in the main and a jib. Even though the wind angle is just right for our screecher the breeze is a little too boisterous particularly given the confused sea state.
Other than a dawn sighting of another catamaran heading west we have had no other boating company today.   We did have a large pod of very fat dolphins come by and swim along with us for the best part of an hour. They are always fun to have around. Some are very athletic and Annie managed to get a great photo of one in full flight.  A couple of flying fish fatalities were spotted on the foredeck this morning and the captain gave them a burial at sea.

Carrying too much weight, this fellow
couldn't quite get airborne



A rare shot, dolphin in full flight!



                                                                                                             



We have just had our 1800 UTC radio reports from some of the other boats and a few are around 50 miles from us and some are over one hundred. The fleet is starting to spread out. Two of the faster boats "Tehani Li" and "No Rehearsals" are within 50 miles ahead of us and while they left a few hours earlier than GWTW we remain hopeful of being competitive for line honors in Barbados.

So all in all it was a pretty quiet day on GWTW. Liam spent time in his shed fixing the broken gearbox dip stick, riveting stuff, and Annie having been instructed to do anything to make the boat go faster did a load of washing lightening the boat with every wash cycle.

But the real highlight of the day was finally connecting to a sailmail station. After trying many many stations Nova Scotia got the guersey.  While we may seem a little isolated here in the North Atlantic we still have radio contact with our cruising friends and email contact with the outside world.



We are not alone.