Freebird Atlantic
| Vessel Name: | Freebird |
| Vessel Make/Model: | X-Yachts - XC 50 |
| Crew: | William and Sarah Maltby, Henry Faire, James Axtell |
09 March 2019 | Southern Grenada
Gone native
Freebird is now safely out of the water and has been left in a yard where a steel frame will be built around her to protect from a hurricane (which we hope is unlikely).
05 March 2019 | Grenada
How to acquire a new burgee stick
Grenada is a stunning island, much of it a tropical rain forest with exotic flowers, lush foliage, colossal bamboos, and many of the spices growing in abundance (nutmeg, cinnamon, ...) hence it’s name The Spice Island.
05 March 2019 | Antigua and Grenada
Cricket mania
I will now confess to the real purpose of the Skipper plotting to cross the Atlantic, and imposing the high seas on his wife... test matches in the West Indies. Since last posting a blog, we have been following England cricket team on their tour of the West Indies, with mixed success but fun all the [...]
29 January 2019 | Barbuda
Barbuda
The wind continued but we decided to head north to Barbuda which is reputed to have the best beaches in the Caribbean. After quite a lumpy sail we arrived in paradise, having taken care to avoid all the reefs. The beaches are completely exquisite, just miles and miles of pinky white sand, with not [...]
Stalking Watermusic
The main amusement in the last 24 hours has been behaving like pirates in stalking Watermusic. We established yesterday that they were 15 miles ahead of us on exactly the same course. So once we were within quarter of a mile, we furled the jib to slow down until daylight. They were not on AIS so we used Radar to track them. We finally made contact alongside them at 8am at first light. A lot of shouting ensued, photos, pole dancing and competition to create the best bacon breakfast smells.
We tried to hoist a burgee for the best photo opportunity which entailed coming up to the wind which promptly broke a shackle on the boom, so lots of TWS's to mend it, and now Watemusic have got away. Bother. The race is on to catch up again.
We went through the Tropic of Cancer yesterday at 23'N so we are now officially in the Tropics. It is certainly a lot warmer at night, though days quite short, from 8am until 6.30pm.
We have noticed that the sky seems to be more hazy from the East (where the wind is coming from) and realise that it is caused by Saharan pink sand which is nicely clogging up all the ropes, blocks, shackles on the deck.
The generator impellor blew last night, so I am waiting for it to be replaced this morning. There have been more pressing distractions, like Watermusic. The Yachtmistress is hoping the boys will sort it soon, so she can turn on the hairdryer.
We had our first domestic crisis this morning. Someone blocked the loo. Mum's the word on who was responsible. But I will take a bribe in aid of the Lifeboat.
Now on to chasing Watermusic again. They also look like happy campers.
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