Jamaica towards the Bay Islands Honduras End of Day 1

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 my daughter Charlotte and she then forwarded them on to a list of family members.

2359hrs (EST, GMT-5) 01 Feb 2020

Dear All,

The Errol Flynn marina at Port Antonio.  Think Twice is the catamaran moored on the outside of the dock on the left

We left Port Antonio at 1040 after a round of goodbyes to the friends we had made there and surprise hellos and goodbyes to Bjorn and Nella on Think Twice, who arrived from Santiago de Cuba about an hour and a half before we departed.

The beach by the cruise ship dock

Heading out through the West Harbour entrance channel with Navy Island on the left and the Titchfield peninsula on the right

As we departed through West Harbour entrance channel, we passed a local fisherman paddling along on a bamboo raft.  Once we were clear of him we got the sails ready and hoisted them in the entrance to East Harbour.

Port Antonio behind us

SY Asha who we had been told by Vim (Duppy)
was inbound to Port Antonio but with engine overheating
issues.  We heard her on the radio as we passed
her telling Vim that she was fine so there was
no requirement for us to stand by or offer a tow

With a nice 12-15 knot east-southeasterly breeze BV bowled along downwind on flat seas, wing on wing (mainsail held out one side and genoa poled out the other) in beautiful trade wind conditions - blue skies, indigo seas, small schools of flying fish.  We were towing a fishing line behind us and in the early afternoon we saw a large fin at the lure and got several bites.  Then the reel started screaming and the line rushed out.  The sailfish we had hooked was so strong I couldn’t get enough friction on the reel to stop the line being dragged out.  After about 5 minute the reel was too hot to touch and my inner, slightly weaker line was now pouring out of the reel.  Nicky had started to slow BV down but before we had stopped her the line snapped.  So, it will be a trip to the fishing shop when we next get into port to replace the line and some tall stories about “the HUGE sailfish that got away” on this passage when we next have a beer.

The wind dropped a little at sunset and we entered a counter-current of about a knot so we slowed down both in progress through the water and over the ground but we're still moving forward and the conditions are sure to change in time.

The forecast is for gentle winds from the east tonight and then for the wind to go round to the north-northwest for a day, increasing to around 20 to 25 knots, before becoming northerly and then easterly again.  We're planning a slightly circuitous routing to the Bay Islands; rather than setting a course a little south of west from the western tip of Jamaica, we will aim to continue a little north of west to a point about 30nm south of Grand Cayman.  From there we will head southwest towards Guanaja.  This routing should keep us well clear of the Pedro Bank and the Gorda Bank, both of which we wish to avoid as there have been reports of pirates and suspicious vessels in these areas.

Sailing along the north coast of Jamaica

And, apart from the news that a thunder cell seems to have developed about 14nm ahead of us (happily it seems to be tracking along at about the same speed as us) that's all the news for now.

Love to all,

Reg and Nicky 

Passage statistics:

Position at 1300  01 Feb: N18 19 W76 37

Position at 2359EST 01 Feb: N18 43 W77 26

1040EST to 1300EST distance: 14 nautical miles

1040EST to midnight distance: 79 nautical miles

Total miles covered:  79 nautical miles

Approximate distance to go (route distance to Bonacca, Guanaja ): 533 nautical miles

End of Day 1, Jamaica towards the Bay Islands, Honduras