Westward bound for the Caribbean. Our first day at sea for a couple of weeks, and it’s good to get back into ship’s routines as we set out on our second Transatlantic of this voyage. This passage is set to be a good one, with consistently fair and moderate, even fresh winds and sunny weather in the forecasts – a great chance to break off ‘day men’ from the watches to focus on sailmaking, carpentry, rigging, engineering, and even learning the tips and tricks of the galley as cook’s assistant. It’s the perfect passage to get good at celestial navigation too – so much to do, it’s a shame the Atlantic isn’t a bit bigger…
SHIP’S WORK: Work continues on our boat carpentry teaching project boat KARL, getting her ready to sail in the Caribbean: we’re working on planking her, and also laminating up some wood to shape her spars. Paint tropical blue under bridge, cut in red port breezeway t’gallant rail, roping main t’gallant staysail, shaping new parralls for the spanker gaff, footrope maintenance: starboard main yard.
FROM: Mindelo, Sāo Vicente, Cape Verde
TOWARDS: The West Indies
TIME ZONE: ZD -1
NOON POSITION: 16°45.5’N /026°33.2’W
DAYS RUN: 88nm
PASSAGE LOG: 88nm
DISTANCE REMAINING: 2,000nm
COURSE AND SPEED: West by North (CMGT 279°T)
WIND: Force 4, North by East
WEATHER: full cloud cover (cumulo stratus and haze), air temp 76F (24°C), barometer reading 1022 millibars, visibility fair
SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: approx 3-5 feet, North East
SAILS SET: All square sails set braced square, inner jib, main topmast staysail, main t’gallant staysail.