Sailing in Light Airs

Yesterday was a day of deep frustration with the wind picking up and dying, fickle and un-trustworthy. By 10.00 we had stopped completely. 2,700 miles from our destination. Morale dropped to match the wind.

Christian being a good skipper seized the opportunity to encourage us all to go swimming in 3,000 feet of warm Atlantic water. Which is what we did with great abandon.

It's a strange feeling being in the water looking up at your home as it drifts at 2 knots in the current. It's also dangerous as the boat can drift away faster than you can swim. We had a long rope out with a fender to hold onto. We needed it because the wind picked up and we had to scramble back on board to avoid being left behind.

But the winds remained fluky throughout the day and night. We lost more and more time. This yacht has done 8 ARC crossings the fastest in 15 days the slowest in 18. At current progress this will be 18 days or more.

Christian and Lucy pore over the weather info trying to work out if we should head east and risk 35 knot head winds or continue to drive south to pick up the trades south of the Cape Verdes. This year a low has established itself where the Azores High should be and so the trades are much further south.

We are continuing to head south and the best estimate for us finally driving west to St Lucia is Saturday morning. From then on it should be downwind with 25 knots driving us forward.

Here's hoping!