Location: Underway to Antigua
The country twang of “Boys ‘Round Here” by Blake Shelton rang through the salon at 7 am. Already awake for sous cheffing, Julia joined in on waking the rest of the crew with a booming “Chew tobacca, chew tobacca, chew tobacca, spit.”Once awake and energized by the karaoke and steel guitar, the crew joined head chef Luke on deck for a classic American breakfast – eggs, bacon, and toast. Following our hearty breakfast, we met Calum in the salon for a Navmaster lesson. Before the lesson, though, we had a serious conversation about how often shipmates should shower. To the surprise of some, once a week is not enough. After we settled that, we learned how to plot an estimated position by plotting a dead reckoning, then taking into account the set and drift of the current, we can accurately estimate our position at any given time. We practiced plotting estimated positions for an hour and a half, then moved onto passage prep, but not before a mandatory all-boat shower. Still dripping from our sea showers, we stuffed ourselves with sandwiches before getting underway. The strong winds meant we could only set partial sail – a reefed fore’sl and double reefed main. We are still making good time, though, averaging a speed of around 6 knots. We should arrive in Antigua around midday on the 21st.
Luke, Julia, and Sophie prepared a fantastic lasagna and pasta for dinner. It was so good that I can’t tell if my queasiness is from the ocean or how much I ate. Julia housed up her own pan of pasta, and Ash ate four pieces of lasagna, despite his lactose intolerance. We now prepare to sail through the night, excited for the rest of the passage but a little sad knowing it will be our last.
Pictures:
1 – Xonel on the helm
2 – A candid shot of Chief
3 – Goodbye, St. Lucia
4 – Will and Isabel on the Flying Jib downhaul, Calum and Riley flaking it on the bowsprit
5 – Julia spotted in her natural habitat
6 – The birds that pooped on Isabel L’s head
7 – Riley on the helm
8 – Luke sleeping soundly
9 – Zoe enjoying the sail
10 – Chief and Xonel morphing into a single person