Jamaica towards the Bay Islands Honduras End of day 4

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 (CST, GMT-6) 04 Feb 2020

Dear All,

At around midnight we crossed into another time zone so we are now in Central Standard Time (CST or S) which is 6 hours behind UTC.  We split the time difference between our watches and so overnight we each got a bonus extra 1/2 hour in bed.

Having talked about trying to get to Guanaja as quickly as possible, the wind has dropped off again.  Overnight we had very gentle sailing with 9-14 knots of wind and for the morning it remained at around 10 knots.  But despite that we still managing to sail at 5-5 1/2 knots and so made reasonable progress.  This morning's forecast still talked about strong winds around Guanaja just before we arrive but the prediction has moderated a bit and we are now expecting 'just' 25-28 knot winds and gusts of 35knots by midnight Wednesday into Thursday and 5-10knots less than that when we arrive.

We passed our first bit of Honduras today.  At 1330hrs we were abeam the Swan Islands.  We couldn't see anything because they were 12 miles away off to our left and the highest point on them is only 78ft but the important thing is that we didn't bump into them and that there are no more obstructions for us for the following 125nm until we make landfall at Guanaja tomorrow.

In the afternoon the wind started to pick up to around 15kts and come around to the east-southeast.  BV picked up her skirts and bustled along nicely at round 7.5kts through beautiful, fairly flat, indigo seas and under blue skies with a few puffy cumulus clouds.  It would be lovely if the weather would stay just the same for the rest of our passage but unless the forecast is very wrong that's not to be.

At 2000hrs the wind had built to 20 knots so we put 2 reefs in the main and genoa to keep it all easier overnight.  Even with the reduced sail we are still averaging 7 knots so are expecting to be at the gap in the reef on the east side of Guanaja at dawn.

Love to all,

Reg and Nicky 

Passage statistics:

Position at midday  04 Feb: N17 41 W83 55

Position at 2359EST 04 Feb: N16 52 W85 08

Midday to midday distance (25 hrs due to clock change): 150 nautical miles (Average 6 knots)

Midnight to midnight distance (25 hrs due to clock change): 157 nautical miles (Average 6.3 knots)

Total miles covered:  571 nautical miles

Approximate distance to go (route distance to Bonacca, Guanaja ): 46 nautical miles

End of day 4, Jamaica towards the Bay Islands, Honduras