Day’s Run – 7 April 2019

A fresh trade wind sailing day. Winds picked up overnight. Studding sails taken in. Light rain squalls, not much. Steering for what I think is the narrowest part of the equatorial doldrums near the eastern bump of Brazil for a quick transit to the region of the equator.

Make and mend Sunday. New gang working on sailmaking/ditty bags. Someone playing a flute up forward. Patches going on shorts. Thoughts going to an equator crossing and into the Caribbean. I think we will pick up speed as we get along the Brazil coast and the strong favourable current there will take us across the mouths of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers.
Some crew talking about staying for the summer trip into the Great Lakes. Very different than this but keenly valuable and interesting as well.

From: St Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean

Towards: The West Indies – Grenada

Date: April 7, 2019

Noon position: 07-36S / 018-38W

Course and speed: WxN or 280° true at 6 knots

Wind force and direction: ESE at force 4-5

Seas/well: moderate seas of 2-3 metres from the SE

Barometer: 1017 steady

Sky: Half-covered with cloud, cumulus, sunny, blue skies

Water temperature: 28.4C – 84F

Distance made good in 24 hours: 130 nautical miles

Distance to next port: pretty far, 2,818 nautical miles as the barracuda swims