Lake sailing...

A quiet couple of days motor-sailing has left lots of time for reading, eating, napping and general lounging! All is well aboard except for the frustratingly light and shifty head-wind. We are also punching a knot of current which all combined, has delayed arrival until early Friday morning.

226Nm to go,

SMC

24 36’ N

073 41’ W

2100 LT

Green Flash?

Today’s Tigris Subsistence Fishing Tournament took a turn for the worst when I lost the coveted Mahi-mahi Lunch Prize coming through the aft gate this morning. Moral was slightly improved when we found a meaty deck-stricken flying fish from the night watch and changed the menu. We were visited by a half dozen Atlantic dolphins swimming alongside as the sun came down this evening, frisky fellas! Life is good here on Tigris tracking steady north and west in calm seas and good spirits. Sofia served up a fine dinner featuring a taboule + beef packed pita, yum! Our sea savvy captain is teaching the procedure for manipulating our mind and vision to see the green flash at sunset; so far I think I saw it? Wind is looking light for the night watches but we are cruising on, BB or bust!

CA

21 06’ N

68 00’ W

2000 LT

Sparkling Wine sailing

We can’t justify today as ‘Champagne sailing’ as the breeze is about 5-6kts too light but it’s as close as it gets!

 I was on watch for yet another glorious sunrise then stayed up to thread our way through the Virgin Islands. We had originally planned to leave them to starboard but a slight veer and drop in wind after sunset meant that we had to ‘heat up’ our course in order to keep sailing. We are currently 40Nm NE of Puerto Rico sailing at 7.5kts with 790Nm to go.

On the fishing front, we had one big bite as we were leaving the Virgin Islands then nothing for the rest of the day. The reason for this was not due to overfishing and a worldwide depletion of stocks as Charlie suspected but rather due to the one bite nipping off our lure!

SMC

19 04’ N

65 43 W

1900 LT

 

Bye-bye Antigua

Wild Tigris slipped her lines at Antigua Yacht Club marina at 0545 this morning and motored out to a beautiful sunrise. Not long after 0600, full main, mizzen and head-sail we’re comfortably pulling us along at an average of just under 8kts. As I type, we are on course at 7.5kts passing 4Nm north of Saba; a small, steep-sided Island which seems to have houses clinging to places that houses aren’t meant to be!

The total distance from Antigua to Baker’s Bay in the Abacos is 1050Nm with a course that will bring us between Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The latest weather gives another two days of 10-15kt reach/broad reaching then probably going light enough for the Iron Jib.    

SMC

17 40’ N

63 12’ W

1830 LT