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14 41.26 N 049 57.75 W
Mileage noon to noon :130 nm
Distance to go: 633 nm
Photo: Tom takes care of whisker business - before the wind
picked up.
The wind continued to blow at 20 knots from the
ENE through the night and this morning, moving the boat well. We went
through a couple of short rain showers this morning, but none with the dreaded
lightning and thunder.
Here are some of the things that we and our fellow
travelers on the net have learned on this trip:
1 - A sloop is not really designed to go downwind
gracefully. It looks good sailing upwind, but downwind - it does a mean
rock, roll and stroll. From Erik & Colleen on Island Time.
2 - As soon as you get the pole up and the sails set,
the wind will change dramatically.
3 - Don't put anything down and expect it to be there
when you return. Especially bowls of cereal with milk or drinks or the
coffee pot.
4 - Don't ask an open-ended question. Be specific
if you want a short, direct answer, or chances are you'll get a treatise on the
subject and more info than you need for the task at hand.
5 - Don't put a fishing line in the water when you have
a water generator out there. Courtesy of John & Sheila on Triumphant.
6 - People get crabby and/or inefficient when they get
tired - so put them to bed, even if it's not their turn.
7 - Always think of the other crew members first.
They'll appreciate it and they'll be nice in return. This really keeps the
group dynamics on a good footing. Sounds like something we should have
"learned in kindergarten".
8 - What happens on the boat, stays on the boat.
For instance, Garry has promised not to tell people what we look like in the
morning, and we've promised not to tell something about him - can't tell you
what it is - shh!
9 - Whoever called this sailing route a "milk
run" (a routine expedition or service journey, according to the Oxford
dictionary) misnamed it. It is anything but routine and constantly
changing. As a rule, the wind blows 20 knots, but not always. We've
learned a lot about the trade winds and the weather patterns that can affect
them. This was prompted by a question from Island Time and an answer from
Adrian on Pagos.
10- Fish are very wily creatures, with a lot more
smarts than we have heretofore given them credit. We have now reeled in 2
and lost 4. The fish are winning.
As you may suspect, there are sea stories behind all of
these learning experiences.
All's well on board-
Tom, Peg and Garry
s/v Starboard Home
Add: Position of s/v Island Time at 1000UTC was 15 48 N 41 38 W
