EYEOTW students, teachers, and followers alike,
Alan here with an update from the WTP. As you may know we shoved off on a falling tide yesterday at around 6pm local time (GMT minus 5 hours). In no time we had the mainsail and our large #1 headsail set and the engine went silent. Weeeee! Finally sailing again and it sure feels great. We cruised with the wind from behind at about 7.5 knots (nautical miles per hour) while dining on our dinner of chicken and rice with tomato sauce onions and corn. Will took over the helm at 8pm and everyone else hit the sack. At 11pm Alan took the wheel for the 11-2am shift, Trevor 2-5am, and Adam 5-8am. Sailing in shifts gives everyone some free time and time to sleep.
Life onboard: It is 10am onboard now and everyone is awake. Adam is cutting up some mangos, leftovers are waiting for anyone who gets hungry, Trevor is lounging in the V-berth and Will is taking his morning shift. Our fishing pole is set, dragging a tasty lure. A cool breeze occasionally wafts through the cabin. The days heat has yet to build. All is well.
***Update as of 4:30pm*** Since writing the above, the wind has calmed. We are still making 6 knots with the sails "wing on wing". Tuna salad sandwiches for dinner. Lots of resting and reading being done by all.
The Boat: The boat is in top shape. Our wind generator is currently charging our batteries at a rate of about 3-5 Amps per hour depending on the wind and the solar panels though partially shaded by the sails are doing their best. During the day we are using minimal electronics to give the batteries a chance to recharge. Our wind-vane "self steerer" (which acts like an autopilot for steering) has been in action almost constantly since we left. This is great because it means that the skipper can read or eat during his watch while occasionally scanning the horizon, checking our heading, and making necessary adjustments.
Weather: We are enjoying a northerly wind at around 12 knots and are still making about 7 knots under sail heading SSW. Our weather data tells us that we should have wind today and hopefully tomorrow but that we may see a drop off as we enter an area known to sailors as "the doldrums" (also called the Inter tropical Convergence Zone).
Position:
7 deg 19' North
79 deg 47' West
That's all for now.
Alan and Crew