End of Day 8 - Beaufort NC towards Antigua

These Blog entries are edited versions of the messages we sent back as we completed the passage. They were sent by radio using a laptop that controls a modem and the HF/SSB radio, using the SailMail system. We sent the messages daily to Charlotte and she then forwarded them on to a list of family members.

2359hrs (AST, 4 hrs behind GMT) 6 Dec 2018

Dear All,

As we predicted, it has been a slow day. The wind got up enough to sail again just before midnight and we made good progress until 0800hrs, albeit on a more easterly heading than we really wanted.  From 0800 the wind started to drop right off and at 1130hrs, when we were beginning to drift with just 3.5 knots of wind, Nicky switched the engine on. That also coincided with us being directly north of Antigua.

Same picture all afternoon!

Since then we have been motoring directly south towards the top of the trade winds belt.  We know that we will be able to start sailing again when we get there which should be before midnight today, so you will get an update on that later.  We've used the time to read, to catch up on some of the outstanding blog entries and to complete some admin and cleaning chores. There is a beautifully clear blue sky and a deep blue sea plus it's really warm now.  The sea is up at 27 degrees Celsius and the air temperature is the same.

From 1800hrs the wind started to show signs of getting up above 3.5 knots and at 2000hrs, just as I went off-watch, Nicky unrolled the genoa and reduced the engine revs so that we made progress southwards motor-sailing.  Hopefully, the wind will build further before too long (and go round more to the east or northeast from its current southeasterly heading) and then we will be able to sail again.

The big decisions now for us are where to head for in Antigua and which side of the island we should pass to get there. We had originally thought about making landfall at Jolly Harbour but we both think that English Harbour, on the south side of the island, is a nicer place, so we will go the extra few miles to check in there.  The decision on which side of the island we'll pass down will depend on our speed when we are established in the Trade Wind belt; ideally we want to arrive in daylight, particularly as the nights are very dark at present.  But, for the time being we are heading towards a waypoint on the east side of Antigua, we can always bear away to head down the west coast quite easily though, in many ways an approach down the east coasts of Barbuda and Antigua would be better (provided we stay clear of the lee shores) as the west sides of both islands are quite shallow.

Anyway, all that's a couple of days in the future.  For now we need to continue south in search of wind!

Love to all,

Reg and Nicky

PS  The wind is just starting to rise as I send this at midnight.  We should be sailing again within the hour.

Passage statistics:

Position at midday 6 Dec: N24 53 W61 41
Position at midnight 6 Dec: N23 43 W61 40
Midday to midday distance: 142 nautical miles
Midnight to midnight distance: 149 nautical miles
Total miles covered:  1141 nautical miles
Approximate distance to go (direct line): 407 nautical miles  (396nm to new waypoint east of Antigua plus about 11nm to English Harbour)

End of Day 8 Beaufort in North Carolina to Antigua