Time Bandit

It’s back to the Caribbean leaving a chilly USA east coast for the winter months in the sun.

30 January 2025 | West Palm Beach
17 January 2025 | Cape Canavaral
07 January 2025 | St Augustine
24 December 2024 | En Route Sunshine
18 December 2024
04 December 2024 | Norfolk, VA
19 November 2024
01 November 2024
28 October 2024
11 October 2024
29 September 2024 | The Andes From 30,000ft
23 September 2024
02 September 2024
13 August 2024
22 July 2024
29 June 2024 | The Hamptons, Long Island Sound
08 June 2024
07 June 2024 | Port Washington

All Over Now

15 December 2014 | St Lucia Airport Departures
It seems like no sooner than we were rocketing downwind at 12 knots, shot out like a cork from Las Palmas in 30 knots than it's all behind us (3,000 miles behind us) and we are now enjoying the delights of the Departures Lounge in St Lucia.

At the pre-start briefing the ARC weather guru warned the skippers of the 30 knot acceleration zone south of the start line at the airport. Later we heard a VHF report saying in fact it was blowing 40 knots.

Therefore, off the start line it made sense to head out east to avoid the "danger zone". Us? We headed straight for the airport, were perhaps the first boat to get into the strong winds and four or five hours later the catamarans and 50 and 60 footers coming back in from out east crossed behind us! Eat our wake boys!

Surfing at 10 plus knots (max seen 12.8 knots SOG) dead straight thanks to the Island Packet's long keel under full control in blazing sunshine. Brilliant sailing.

We plotted our course to Cape Verde to follow the strongest wind areas shown on the GRIB file and ended up running down close to the west coast of Africa, the farthest east boat of the fleet. It certainly paid off as to the west of us boats had consistently 5 knots less wind and even calms while we were blasting along comfortably.

Approaching Cape Verde, surprisingly mountainous, rising straight out the ocean to three and four thousand feet, once again, the wind kept rising, accelerating as it was squeezed between the mountains.

We had two boats on the horizon, all converging on the finish line. The race to the line was on....but how long was it prudent to hold our full downwind rig including gennaker? Long enough to win 2nd place and beat a Catana 47 over the water. We were pretty chuffed. Thank goodness for snuffers. I well remember how hard it was to get a full spinnaker down on 20+ knots with a racing crew on board. With the snuffer, two of us can do it in a jiffy. It's only if things go wrong you're in the pudding!

Anyway, we've been taxing our grey matter to try and recollect the highlights of the last 7 or 8 weeks. Together we can piece together most of what has happened if not chronologically accurate. The rest is a bit of a blur. When we're back we will put together the photos and that should help us work out where we were when and put some detail around the trip.

Like most of our long offshore passages the days begin to run together. On the ocean there's not much to differentiate one day from the next. The horizon looks the same, the red cabin lights at night look the same. The stars look the same....and we still can't tell one from another. The stars that is.

All of it is stunning in its own way. The phosphorescence of the breaking waves at night. Stars, or are they planets, twinkling blues, reds, greens and white. The feeling of power running through the boat as we demolish wave crests at 10 knots, spray flying. Goosewinged with poled out genoa, full main and gennaker while sitting back in full control with some tunes on the headphones.

The mad dash for the reef lines as a new squall approaches! Slamming of hatches and ports and fighting your way into light waterproofs, hopping from one side of the cabin to the other in time with the rolling getting ready for the accompanying deluge. After the excitement, pirouetting around the ocean, sails flapping as the post squall wind finds its direction again.

Anne did a great job provisioning and keeping us fed, the primary differentiating factor each day, the evening meal. No scurvy to report at all. Eric was even seen to eat carrots on more than one occasion although most of the time Anne did have to mash them up and hide them in the gravy.

It was well worth making the detour to Cape Verde. Rising out the sea, mid ocean, like the Azores but drier and sadly poorer. Nonetheless, the people were incredibly friendly and in the few days we had there we learnt a lot about the islands, the people, their culture and lifestyles.

Kids playing football bare foot in the gravel. Washing clothes in the rivers, stunning volcanic mountain and sub tropical rain forrest scenery. Volcanic sand beaches pounded by the ocean surf. Rum made in the traditional way pressing cane through grinders powered by oxen, filtered and served fresh! Tasty.

Curried goat, jerk chicken and deep fried flying fish (poor wee things) all washed down with the local, in season juice; lime, mango or grapefruit.

We didn't see much wildlife on the way over other than our pod of Pilot whales. However, 24 hours from Rodney Bay we had a Hump Back breach 200 metres away and a Fin whale surface perhaps 50 metres off.

In St Lucia we rented a car and toured the island for a couple of days. From five star hotels by the beach to driftwood shacks in the hills arrived at via tortuous, single track ultra steep roads through the rain forrest. Just brilliant to see the island close up.

The prize giving was in the St Lucia Rex resort hotel on the beach. A ten piece steel band played most of the night followed by the fire dancers blowing flame and limbo dancing. All against the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea as the sun went down.

The prize giving was enjoyed by many with the ARC "Yellow Shirt" team making everyone feel like a winner.....especially us as we picked up two awards. A nice commemorative plaque engraved with 2nd Place! Didn't we do well. And a second prize for crossing the line at exactly 10:00:00.

As part of our exploration of "the dark side" Dave and Linda gave us a catamaran experience, joining them on a two hour hop from Rodney Bay to Marigot Bay for the ARC+ final event. There were four stunning Outremer catamarans in the ARC and do they look impressive! Fast too.

The closing ceremony in Marigot Bay was spectacular, hosted by the newly refurbished Capella Hotel. Endless food, shrimps, melted cheese, maxi mahi sushi and free soft drinks, runs and beer.

All set in stunning, sheltered Marigot Bay.

Back in Rodney Bay the main ARC fleet has been arriving over the last few days. Julian and Lynne arriving yesterday having made a pretty impressive crossing, two up through gales, enormous seas and calms. Not to mention nearly running out of water.

It was St Lucia day on Saturday when the locals celebrated their Independence Day. Hundreds of people filled the streets while one of the island's best bands played. Everyone (except us) were in their "Sunday Best" hair platted and dyed in stunning corn rolls. Brightly coloured clothing and all twerking away like mad. We gave it a shot but too sore on our old backs.

So, it's all over again and we are planning on what to do next. After the Christmas and New Year festivities on the beach we will probably make a jump down to Grenada and then work our way north aiming for 4th July in New York or Boston. Who knows where the time goes! (Name that (original) artist).

We will take in the island chain, probably the Bequia Music Festival and maybe charter a race boat for BVI Regatta Week for old times sake.

From there, North through cuba, Bahamas and USA East coast. Exactly where and when to be worked on. Watch this space.

Anyway, you're saved from further Woffle as our flight awaits. 8 hours in a miserable wee seat and plastic food. Where did my Gold Card go?


Stuart, Anne, Eric, Pat and Huw
ARC+ 2014 Crew
Comments
Vessel Name: Time Bandit
Vessel Make/Model: Outremer 51
Hailing Port: Largs, Scotland
Crew: Anne and Stuart Letton
About: ex dinghy and keelboat racers now tooled up with a super sleek cat and still cruising around aimlessly, destination Nirvana...
Extra: Next up....the Caribbean. We've left South Africa in our wake and now off to Namibia, St Helena, Brazil, Suriname and into the Caribbean. Well, that' the vague plan. We'll see what happens.
Home Page: http://www.sailblogs.com/member/timebandit/profile
Social:
Time Bandit's Photos - Main
8 Photos
Created 7 June 2024
No Photos
Created 26 May 2022
6 Photos
Created 2 April 2021
No Photos
Created 1 April 2021
A few pics of Maldives so far.....
No Photos
Created 29 March 2021
15 Photos
Created 22 September 2020
Our escape the the wild mountain thyme
21 Photos
Created 23 June 2020
21 Photos
Created 2 October 2019
Selayar
18 Photos
Created 6 September 2019
16 Photos
Created 1 September 2019
Some pics from Debut and the Kei Islands
24 Photos
Created 30 July 2019
From the north of Australia to Debut Indonesia
8 Photos
Created 23 July 2019
No Photos
Created 19 October 2018
1 Photo
Created 20 October 2017
7 Photos
Created 23 June 2017
An interesting perspective on evolution in the Galapagos.
23 Photos
Created 7 March 2016
18 Photos
Created 30 September 2014
Mediterranean Spain to the Arctic Circle
67 Photos
Created 12 August 2013
Scraping and sanding hull back to gel coat for epoxy and Coppercoat treatments.
6 Photos
Created 3 February 2013