Day 2 - Cuba bound

Morning all, it’s a lovely morning, the sun’s out for the first time in a while and the batteries are getting some charge from the panels although it’s only about 3 amps, the rest is being nicked by the loads on the fridge, freezer and autopilot. The fridge and freezer are holding low temperatures nicely but, as I said, I think they use much more energy in doing so however it all seems to be working out fine at the moment, I had to start the engine twice last night for charging and that was roughly what we were doing before.

We were pottering along at about 4-5 kts most of the afternoon, I think, I can’t really remember, it was a long time ago, but once the wind had settled in the South it slowly veered until we couldn’t quite make our course towards the waypoint but not far off it. After mince and tatties, I didn’t mash them for a change, with some broccoli, all delicious, and I’d mostly cleared it away, I went to bed but didn’t sleep much. At about 2000 something happened and the sails all flapped and we ended up going about before I’d made it up on deck, the breeze had picked up in a squall and veered about 4 points to the NNW, so once I’d settled her onto the starboard tack I took another reef in the main, so we were down to 2 on the main with one and a half reefs in the genoa and this proved a good sail plan for the night lasting as it did until the morning, pushing us along at 7 + knots with the apparent wind just forward of the beam and both sails drawing nicely.

Once day had broken the wind had dropped a little and I shook out one reef in the main and we now have full headsail and are , as mentioned, bowling long nicely at about 6 knots. I’m in two minds whether to go for full main or to stow the main completely and just go with a poled out genoa so am procrastinating by writing this in the meantime.

We’re currently just North of San Juan in Puerto Rico and the forecast is for the wind to gradually go more astern which will likely mean, initially anyway just the poled out genoa. Once it’s further aft I could goosewing.

It’s a warm day with the sun out, I’m at the chart table with a fan blowing on me which is nice, contemplating a cup of coffee for 10:00.

Yesterday we covered 59 miles to Noon from 2030 the previous evening so although it was frustrating at times it wasn’t all that slow really, we’ll do about 153 which is perfectly respectable.

The canaries eggs are doing well, I had scrambled eggs for breakfast, I’m trying to eat all the Canaries food before arrival at Cuba so we don’t have stuff that needs to be eaten particularly and can choose what we want.

Well that’s all for now

Slaintes from Jock and Yemaya