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Captain's Log

Captain’s Log 23 Dec 2015

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Distance to St Helena Island 1200nm.

1st Waypoint: 21 25 07.179S; 009 11 07.234E

Heading 302˚M

Distance to run 305nm

Weather forecast via Grib files and PredictWind: no issues.

Farewell Walvis, Farewell Namibia, Farewell Africa!

Departed Walvis Bay 0930, motored in calms across bay. Swapped gaff’s, main for Fore, fore for Main, per Rory’s suggestion after checking length measurements. Tuya helped with tools etc, while Zaya steered.

Cleared Pelican Point at 1200 under full sail. Wind South, hdg 305˚M. Wind steadily freshened remaining South. 1st reef in main, then 1st reef in foresail, later dropped main, later 2nd reef in foresail at night fall.

Fresh SSE winds all night. Fishing boats in warmer patch of sea around 120nm WNW of Walvis Bay.

One boat sighted 8nm distant, tracking for us. Compass and radar observation (290 to 250) showed he would clear us to port. Then, port lights visible about 2nm out, confirming this. Then …

At 1nm distant he altered course towards us, stb lights visible.

I leapt out of pod and altered Juliet to bear away and radioed the unidentified fishing boat.

At half a mile they altered course away. No response on radio.

Tuya later said she thought is was a pirate ship coming to get us.

Captain's Log, Lifestyle Change

Exactly 12 months ago tonight …

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It seems so long ago now. We had no idea of the adventure that lay ahead of us as we took one last selfie in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

The following morning we would cast off the mooring where we had sat for 10 days, completing the final preparations for the voyage across the Atlantic. The installation of the watermaker was completed, the food was aboard, the weather forecast was good and Luckyfish was in tip top condition. There were still unfinished jobs to complete but now it was their turn to wait. We were as ready as we needed to be, besides, we wanted to make St Helena Island, 1222nm away, in time for New Years celebrations.

We were ready to go!

Starting tomorrow, each day I will be posting the Captains Log as written on passage from Africa to the Caribbean. It’s a candid account of the trials and trepidation, successes and failures, excitement and fears felt along the way. We hope you will follow along and share in the adventure only crossing an ocean under sail can bring.

That’s why I sail,
Stewart