SailBlog

We are out in the middle of the ocean between Puerto Rico and Turks & Caicos. So far, the trip has been uneventful, which we like. It did not start out that way. We left Culebra around 10:00 AM. I drove the boat out of the harbor, managing to stay between the red and green buoys (am I good or what!) it is all part of my lessons on learning how to help sail this boat. We get out of the harbor, I turn the boat into the wind and the guys start to put the sails up and much to our dismay, they wouldn't go up. They were jammed. My dear sweet husband was cussing like the sailor that he is. I was very calm, because, I know that I am married to a man who can figure out anything and then fix it. We were rocking and rolling as the water was pretty rough and decided that we would need to go somewhere calmer to check into the problem. We went into this pretty little bay with an entrance not much wider than the boat and anchored. Casey got busy figuring out what the problem was. He decided that something had jammed the main halyard (rope that hauls the sail up). So we head back into the harbor to be closer to town in case he should need some parts, tools, or a beer. We get into the harbor and up the mast he goes after struggling to find his tool bucket. Nothing seems to stay where we put it! After much wiggling and jiggling. the halyard was freed from the offending line inside the mast. Thank goodness we did not have to take the boat apart. Casey was thinking we might have to go to a big city in Puerto Rico, where they have a crane and pull the mast off. So, after the easy fix, we were on our way again. We left about 2:00 pm. I'm not real secure with my ability to do night watches by myself, so I sat with Casey and learned what little I could. I can sit up there and watch for other boats, but if anything else happens, I would have to wake up Capt. Casey. He may not get much sleep with me on watch. I might try it on my own tonight. Ca sey and Dan did 4 hours on and 4 hours off. They are in pretty good shape in spite of not much sleep. Today, I did what I do best, I laid in the sun and read a book. It is a great way to get a tan. It is warm and the wind is cool, so you never get to hot. It is about a 4 day sail to Turks & Caicos. It seems like nothing compared to the 3 weeks from the Canaries to St. Maarten. I can do this! It helps to know that I can have a quick shower everyday!