Day 3 - Santa Maria to Dakar via Mindelo
By Sharon Ferris-Choat
- 28°37'.956N
- 24° 49'.007W
- TWS 5-10 kn
- TWD 294° - 044°
- SOG 6.3
- COG 175° now we are motoring again. Before it was 140° or 220° so that's why we are using the iron sail.
We have had such a wet night, it rained and then it rained again! Right in the middle of the frontal zone, which is oriented NE to SW and moving slowly ESE. Not much wind in the clouds but they were black and very wet. We had a fire hose on the boom for awhile.
Everyone is drying out today and it's sticky hot with rain all around us still. I was smart and told everyone it's update time and missed this one, cheeky I know but smart move for not getting a wet butt again.
I learnt that trick off John from Palma Sea School! Thanks John!
Now we have 700nm to Mindelo and we have covered 500nm from Santa Maria. We are hoping that we would see some of the Route du Rhum boats, racing solo across the Atlantic, but not yet. More sights today with Molly and Jenna joining Heather and I, they are getting closer which is great news.
We are motoring at the moment as there's only 4 knots of wind and it's straight behind us. I would like to come into Mindelo in day light for traffic, boats and Customs so we are playing the weather game as best as we can to calculate this ETA.
Everyone is still learning heaps, Ami and Heather do an amazing job at teaching while I try to put a racing edge to our procedures. The girls are all hungry to learn so it's always interesting. (Apart from when it's raining everyone went silent then as talking involved opening up the jackets and that was not pleasant. Funny how us sailors hate being wet, I guess it's because we are constantly open to the elements.
