Fair Winds and Following Seas

The winds are 15-20 from the east, and the seas are now set from the northeast. We have shaken out the reef on the main, and are on a reach using the full main and the staysail. Alas, we have no big jib to use. Our pace has slowed to somewhere between 5 and 6 knots, but it still looks like we will land in Antigua within 24 hours. We are 128 miles from Falmouth Harbor, which we believe will offer us the best access to chandleries, provisioning, and historic charm. Our current position is 18 58.5 N 062 08.3 W. The sun is out and this is a perfect sailing day. Our spirits are good as we ready the boat for a few weeks at the dock. This mostly involves sitting in the cockpit and thinking about how to best utilize our time on shore before we head back to our homes.

We hit a few small rain squalls yesterday afternoon. We saw one cargo ship last night before the AIS picked it up. Jay called Trevor in Seattle to trouble shoot, since our expectation is that AIS should alert us to ships that are 30 miles away. It was disconcerting to have it in view before it was picked up by the electronics. Regardless, it posed no danger. Prior to the rising of the moon, the night sky glowed with stars. It is remarkable how many stars one can see without any ambient light. This morning, we saw that our vessel had become the graveyard for two flying fish. Services are at noon.

Team Welcome.