The last sailblog I wrote was last year a week before we arrived in Grenada. I didn't write a final blog to say that we made it or how the last part of the trip was because after 9000 miles I was sick of sailing. Anyway we did make it back to Grenada last May where we left the boat for the hurricane season. We returned this year on new years eve and put the boat back in the water about 5 days later. We spent a few weeks being lazy around Grenada , seeing old friends and meeting new ones. We then had a few weeks of visitors who came and sailed with us as we move north from Grenada to St Vincent and then to St Lucia. We had a great time with our guests and Jamie and I enjoyed the islands of the Eastern Caribbean together after having seen them on separate boats 7 years before. The islands do seem more crowded now than 7 years ago and along with wanting the boat closer to the US we have decided to head for the western Caribbean.

Here we are one week into our trip from St Lucia to Belize. We havent seen another sailboat since we left, a few ships, but here in the middle of the Caribbean it is pretty quiet. The sailing has been great as we are entering the moderate season for the trade winds. Before we left St. Lucia, the trades were often blowing from the ENE at 20-25 kts and more. Just since we left the whole area has seen a moderation in the wind and I would say our average wind has been 15-18 kts with only 2 squalls that were just over 20 kts with a little rain. The best part of this trip however has been the current. I might have mentioned last year that as we sailed up the coast of South America offshore of Brazil and the Guyanas we were searching for the famed Guyana current and its 2 knot stream what could have given us fantastic daily runs. We never really found it. However, when that same Guyana current and the North Equatorial current meet around the area of the Eastern Caribbean Windward Islands the two become the Equatorial current. This one we found. Last night on Jamie's watch with the wind blowing a mere 12- 14 knots we were making 8.5- 9 knots over the ground. Several days we have made over 140 miles with yesterday's run of 160 miles. Thats 7 miles off the Magdalena's all time longest 24 hour run of 167 miles. In fact our daily runs for this week add up to 1002 miles. I must say its not miles made good (MMG) as we are only 985 miles from St Lucia by the GPS, but I think if I take another week looking back from tomorrow we will probably have a 1000 MMG week. Respectable I think for a 35 foot cruising boat and two people. So now we are about to pass south of Jamaica and on toward the Yucatan. I hope the fishing gets better.

Week one stats 985 Miles made good 1002 miles sailed 604 miles to go 125 worst day 160 best day 143 miles average sailed per day strongest wind 24 kts lightest 8 kts average wind 15-18 kts ENE 4 hours engine running to charge batteries 2 fish hooked, 0 landed