Day 20 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

Well, Kate couldn't have asked for better birthday conditions really, hot, sunny, and a nice breeze from a good direction! We have been making really good progress and with 4 hours of day 20 still left to run we have already covered 120 miles!! We have around 670 left to Antigua and everyone is getting very excited about our arrival.

Kate enjoyed all her birthday emails - thank you very much and also all the cards that were sent out to the Canaries for her via her mum, she got a 'happy birthday' recital down the SSB radio from our friends on Chilli Oyster who are nearby headed for St. Lucia with the ARC.

We've been sailing now for 48 hours without having to resort to the engine which is soooo nice, but will need to top up the batteries again today (we've been using the autopilot as the wind / wave combination hasn't been great for using the Hydrovane windvane steering system).

Day 19 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

We passed the 2000 mile mark! Yeah! Around 800 left to go, plus we've actually sailed for the last 24 hrs without needing the engine on - nice winds on the beam with good progress being made in the right direction!

Big news, today is Kate's birthday - "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Kate, Happy Birthday to you!!". Despite now officially being in her late twenties she dutifully got up to stand her midnight to 4am watch (we tried our hardest to persuade her to let someone else do it, but she is a stubborn one!). So today will be presents, cake and music to celebrate!

Got passed by an ARC boat yesterday morning - a HR54 - its taken them 2 weeks to close down the 350 mile headstart on us - not bad for a much bigger boat. They came really close which was nice, first boat we've seen for nearly a week!

Looking forward to arriving now - should be early next week with some luck.

Day 18 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

As day broke we sailed out of the low pressure system we'd been caught in for days - it was quite dramatic - behind us big banks of grey cloud billowing upwards and ahead of us blue sky and white whispy clouds! We set the sails and found the Easterly winds again and had a good sail until evening. We had a small squall just before tea time, but with the help of the radar we navigated through a narrow band of it in around 30 mins and out the other side. The wind dropped after it however and we plodded on into the dark - by midnight we were down to 1.5 knots so we started the engine. Just turned it off (08:30) which is good news as we are down to 1/3rd of a tank of fuel so trying to sail as much as possible.
Less than 1000 miles to go - around 940, so fingers crossed we should be there early next week (Tues / Wed?)

Day 17 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

Another day trapped by the damn low pressure system! Thats 4 or 5 days now of either no wind or headwinds! Rained on and off all day so we spent most of the day below decks getting 'cabin fever'!
Seems to be clearing now though and fingers crossed for some more Easterly trade winds to carry us the remaining 1000 miles we have to go til Antigua.

Day 16 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

Another frustrating day! Yesterday we managed exactly 100 miles, today will be less though! We had light winds early on and flew the cruising chute, then the winds tracked round to the SW and we started sailing close hauled. They built to a force 8 for the early part of the night and we pounded into them. They've started to swing round now and moderate - fingers crossed we're finally coming out of this low pressure band and heading back for the trade winds!!

All on board is good though - fresh scones yesterday and counting down the days til we're there (only 1120 ish to go!)

Day 15 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

A crazy day with thunder storms all afternoon and evening. Spent a long time trying to dodge the storms which had lots of thunder and lightning (not good on a yacht with a big metal mast!) and serious squalls hidden in them.

Had some technical difficulties with the emails, so please only send one or two line emails for the next week or so until resolved and don't worry if you don't get a reply straight away!

Day 14 - Puerto Mogan - Antigua

No wind! Just turned the engine off after 37 hours of motoring through doldrums! Making very slow progress now but we haven't enough fuel to motor all the way there so a line had to be drawn!

Very hot again yesterday and last night. For the last two nights whilst becalmed we've had huge thunderstorms so we haven't been able to use the radio during these to send updates.

Hoping the light E winds we now have will stay and hopefully build a little!

Day 13 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

Well, here we are at 17.26N 36.45W ... for those of you without Admiralty chart 4012 in front of you that means we are half way there!! 1,430 miles down and the same to go - woohoo!

We made mid atlantic party hats yesterday and wore them today and made chocolate cake to celebtrate. Light winds yesterday that swung round from Easterly (where they've been all week) to SW! Then big black clouds appeared after dark and we had huge thunder storms, torrential rain and 40 knot head winds for 3 hours! When it went it took all wind with it and since midnight we've been motoring with not a breath of wind!

Happy Birthday to Russ for today.

Day 12 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

Another day of light easterly winds. We sailed with main and poled out genoa the whole day - less than 10 knots of wind, but the North Equatorial Current helped us make 108 miles making over 1300 in total - nearly half way there.
Its very, very hot here, we had the parasol up in the cockpit and were fighting for shade (unusual from 3 brown people who like sun!). Heard on the net this morning that most of our friends are leaving today / tomorrow either from the Verdes or La Gomera so will be good to speak to them whilst they are underway and see if they have any more wind than us!

Day 11 - Puerto Mogan to Antigua

Its been very very hot but little wind. We've covered just over 100 miles in the last 24 hours under main and poled out genoa (fixed pole holding ok thus far!). Looking like half way will be in a couple of days!

Saw dolphins last night in the dark (well heard them and then saw them) - nearly scared me to death at 4:45am!