340 miles to go!
18 December 2011 | Canaries to Grenada
Rodney
As we complete our 15th day at sea we are kind of getting ready to be there! The wind came up around midnight and we were able to sail until noon today. We were only making about 3.5 knots so the crew was getting restless. The captain gave Eric the stink potter option - and for some reason he said something like "put the pedal to the metal" - must be jeep talk.
We flew the spinnaker for about three hours today. Eric is getting pretty good at getting the spinnaker lines hooked up and ready to hoist. The spinnaker is in a sock which really helps to launch and collapse the kite. Launching the spinnaker in moderate wind is pretty easy because as the spinnaker fills the cone wants to rise to the top of the halyard. The real trick is getting the cone down when it is blowing hard. I have a bit of an advantage on Eric (about 80 pounds) so getting the kite to submit is easier for me. I told Eric to think of it as a rope climb. Jamie said it looked like Eric was kite surfing as he climbed about 5 feet up the rope before the kite collapsed. Maybe we will tie his feet to the trampoline next time?
Our current path will take us within 15 miles of Barbados. Most yachts stop for a few days to tour the Mount Gay Rum plant. I guess it is a bunch of fun and helps break up the trip to Grenada. Alas our schedule makes us push on. We are currently shooting to arrive in Grenada on the 20th in the evening. We have a reservation to haul the boat on the 21st, packing up everything by the 22nd. Then we have to load all our belonging into a crate to be shipped home on the 23rd, and fly home on the morning of the 24th. I guess we will just keep our watch schedule going to get all the work done?