We took a right turn! We had been on a NNE heading until this morning. The reason for the more northerly direction was to avoid bad weather. We are now sailing east (since 6 a.m.), downwind, after having been on a close reach for seven days.

Michael and I were not on watch during the change. We woke up this morning to pleasant sailing. Both the Screecher and the Genoa (the latter on the starboard side) are *usually* full. Wing-on-wing is what we would call this configuration. This is the first time Michael and I have sailed this way. It isn’t a first for Yulia and Kirill. Continue reading →

The wind died. We began motoring at midnight and have not stopped yet. The ocean is very calm, which makes for a lazy day on the sailboat.

One might say that this is the calm before the storm. We expect to hit good winds soon.

Continue reading →

Today is my (Cindy’s) birthday. I woke up late, on a catamaran on the Atlantic Ocean. It is sunny, the winds are sufficient, the sailboat is wonderful, and the company is exceptional.

Yulia and Kirill welcomed me to the cockpit with hugs, cheek kisses and a birthday gift: a beautiful scarf they purchased in Antigua. We will post a picture when we are able.

This morning we had the 12-4 a.m. watch. Winds were light and from a slightly “wrong” direction. We had to sail a bit off course to remain sailing. Yulia had to motor the last two hours of her watch. Continue reading →

Today is the day one of the two engines died.

But, I digress. Since we last wrote, we have primarily had beautiful sailing weather. The sky has been sunny, and the wind has been good for the most part. We’ve used the Screecher sail several times. It is a wonderful sail, given the right conditions. It enabled us to reach a speed of 8 knots with only 12 knots of wind. Pretty awesome!

Continue reading →

This is our first full day at sea. We left Antigua yesterday at noon, after having been cleared to leave. We also stopped at a bakery for fresh baked goods.

We have experienced a little seasickness, but not too much.

Departing Antigua

The sailing is nice today. It is sunny, there are small swells and the winds are averaging 19 knots. Yulia and Kirill, owners of this beautiful boat, are wonderful companions. Glad to be here!

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