Wednesday, November 26, 2008
22 06.28N, 63 50.67W

Hello Everybody!

I’m pleased to report that the biggest news today is that Pierre caught Mahi #3 on Peter’s side. So the fishing contest score is Peter (and Pierre) 2, Jake (and Leo) 1. As a result of yesterday’s catch we had wonderful mahi sandwiches for lunch and baked Mahi for dinner that drew rave reviews. The third fish is in the freezer so Leo can make “fish water” (fish in a kind of savory broth) for us later.

The only other excitement was the rain Leo and I sat through on our watch; followed by lots of clouds, overcast and squalls keeping pace just east of us, but never hitting us. The good news is that tonight is the first night that we haven’t had to wear foul weather gear to keep either warm or dry (with the exception of this very minute when it is raining on Jake & Pierre).

After a really great effort on the part of the crew yesterday, the engine has been running beatifully! However, as a result of that effort and the long day everybody was pretty tired today. The guys all showered on the back deck, but Danielle and I are still holding out for warmer weather and sunshine. And that is about all the news to report.

As for observations: This trip has been unlike any other we’ve made. The cold temperature and strong winds leaving Jamestown were not unusual, but the rest of the weather has been. Normally we are able to avoid anything like the winds and waves in the storm, but it formed unexpectedly in a location near us. Since then we have had a cold front, which has kept us in foul weather gear to keep out the wind and protect us from the splash of waves until just a day or so ago, when we were able to be on deck off watch during the day without it. Usually once we get south of Bermuda we are able to be in shorts or swim suits all day with only a windbreaker or fleece at night (if that), but not yet this trip. We’re hoping that will be the case tomorrow!

Because of a number of factors, we will be approaching Antigua from a slightly more western angle than usual. That means Pierre will probably get a look at Anguilla, St. Martin, and St. Barts, plus St.Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat. It looks as if we’ll arrive in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua Friday night or in the wee hours of Saturday, so we’ll pass some of the northern islands in the daylight and might even have some good fishing.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche, hoping for sunny skies, warm weather and showers on the back deck for all!

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 27th, 2008 at 1:17 am and is filed under 2008 Trip South. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.