Easter Sunday at 03-40′ N / 49-22′ W about 105 nautical miles off the NE coast of Brazil at noon. We have a surpassingly beautiful day with us right now. The Picton Castle has all sail set apart from royals and flying jib. Winds are fresh and about abeam from the northeast. We are sailing …
Sailing our Blue-Water Barque Along the Coast of Brazil Read More »
Winds have laid down to a pleasant force 4+. Seas have settled down now that we are past the massive outpouring of the Amazon River. Sunday at sea, a lovely day. Thoughts of Caribbean islands dominate. Date: April 21, 2019 From: St Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean Towards: Grenada, West Indies Noon position: 03°-39′ North …
Fresh to strong northeasterly trade winds and a strong Brazilian current are sending us on our way. Pretty lumpy seas, no doubt due in part to bounce back off the coast to the leeward. Flying jib, outer jib, fore t’gallant, mainsail, spanker and upper staysails are taken in. Steering is pretty good though. Date: April …
At about 2200 last night the Picton Castle broke though and crossed The Line, the Equator, into the northern hemisphere. Back in the north for the first time since approaching the Galapagos so many months ago. Yesterday was bright and shiny. But today is overcast and squally. Still making good time though. We are about …
On the 8-12 watch last night the winds picked up out of the northeast. At midnight all sail was set and the good old reliable main engine was shut down. Big sighs of relief all around. The day came in bright and clear with a building northeast trade wind on the starboard quarter. Sweet sailing …
Fired up the main engine at midday after winds pooped out all together. Looks like a couple days more at 7+ knots to steam out of these doldrums. Lots of rain last night and today. If we had an extra week or two we could sail out of these doldrums. Glad we have a good …
Shut down the main engine at midday with a decent sailing breeze. Hope it lasts, doubt it will. We sailed within sight of Fernando de Noronha Island at dawn. It was 26 nautical miles to the north. Picking up some current now. But not out of the doldrums yet. Sunday at sea. Dogging the watches …
Motoring still. Looks like a couple more days of this too in these equatorial calms. Could be a lot worse and looks like fresh trade winds on the other side of the equator. Got an email from King Neptune’s Scribe today. They are not amused that we have a bunch of Pollywogs aboard. Shudder…. Date: …
Motoring now. Pretty calm. Big squalls last night. Head winds coming out of the west so we hove to. Saw no reason to sail back to Africa, as charming a land as it is. Torrential downpours. Sunny now. In the calms while steaming we loosed all sail to dry and just furled it. Drying out …
Squally day today. But fair winds and a good drill for the gang to take in sail and set sails again after the squalls. We are well into the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the fancy modern name for the equatorial doldrums. So far, pretty good fair winds through this area. I still expect calms and …
