Now we’re so close to port it almost seems a shame for this passage to be drawing to a close. Another lovely day of fresh breezes and sunshine and a simply gorgeous night of starry, trade wind sailing. This is what all those Cape Horn sailors must have been dreaming about: a sweet barque sailing the tropical trade winds and bound so soon for the beautiful Caribbean islands after 35 days out of sight of land.
SHIPS WORK: The sailmakers finished the rope cover on three quarters of the new outer jib today – looks like the new sail will be finished before we reach Grenada. More coats on the small boat rudders and tillers, and the mast for Sea Never Dry got planed down a little to reduce weight aloft, and then coats of linseed oil and primer. Varnish on the port side taff rail on the quarterdeck, spot painting tropical blue in the breezeways and around the ‘aloha’ deck, and spot painting black trim. The bosun and riggers brought the fish tackle up out of the hold and inspected and overhauled it ready to be sent aloft for use catting the anchor.
BOUND FROM: James Bay, St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean
TOWARDS: Grenada, Windward Islands, Caribbean Sea
TIME ZONE: GMT -3
NOON POSITION: 08°49.3’N /057°12.5’W
DAYS RUN: 174 nm
PASSAGE DISTANCE RUN: 3,568 nm
DISTANCE REMAINING: 317 nm
COURSE AND SPEED: North West 3/4 North, Course made good 305° true, 8.3 knots
WIND: Wind Force 5, North East
WEATHER: Fair, 1/8 cloud, barometer 1018 millibars and steady,
visibility very good
SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: East by North 1-2 m
SAILS SET: All sails set except studdingsails and gaff topsail, braced up slightly to starboard and with plenty of screw in the yards
Amy and John stitch the rope cover on the new outer jib