Well not really, nothing is as important as the schedule. Well schedules and sailing do not mix well. We do make the best of it tho. After a sketchy late start we have made it down island. Got fuel in St Barts, visited Montserrat and saw the destruction of the volcano, we are less than 50 miles from our Grenada destination and have time to Chill-axe in the bays we know well.

We tried a new to us stop, but the wind and bottom were not cooperating today. We had looked at “the end if the world” reef before but always gave it a pass for one reason or another. Today we tried, wind and waves were having none of it. We tried to drop the anchor near the recommended anchorage but it never hooked. Just skipped on the bottom. Well we only tried once. Since it was rolly out there and were only going to do a lunch stop any way. Plan B back to the Tobago Keys, less than 10 boats here in off season, normally close to 80 vessels anchored here.

Haven’t been feeding the crew, they say it is cause every beer is sammich, or just hate the grub. We get underway, it gets rough, no one wants food, but when I make something it’s gone in seconds. Big seas on the outside but we just took it slow and rolled with it, literally.

Anchor down, break out the grill and a snack and jerk chicken wings are a thing gone past.

Total lounge day.

Beautiful water, blue and shallow. Cool breeze. No rain. I go stir crazy. Wipe down the salon ceiling, finish the lazy jack lines. Lay down but always find. Some thing to tinker with.

Play with the GoPro. Interesting shots.

Pasta and a 7 item salad and a heated match of dominoes round up the day.

Then watching the rays circle the boat around the green glow that is our fishing light was as cool as the number of stars visible without a cloud in the sky. >

Awake at dawn to beat the boys to the head for girlie stuff (sunblock, moisturizer, dab of mascara to help me feel “girlie”, hair in ponytail), close all starboard hatches, make the bed (as my momma taught me to always make the bed, even on a boat), stow all loose items, lock and secure all cabinets, and head to main cabin. Turn off mooring light and turn on nav instruments, check spot–oops something is wrong with spot so a small surgery is in order so you can follow us. Grab a glass of juice for my morning pills and make a glass for Wayne (along with some water as he will need it). Clear last night’s drinking mugs, lock all cabinets, prepare guide book to destination. Head to port side, wake up Wayne, close all hatches, secure and lock all cabinets, empty head (stupid port head), and move on to cockpit. Remove all gauge covers, prep dingy so Matt can remove bridal and get us off the ball. Remove St Lucia flag as we head into a new country. Wayne get’s up, helps Matt raise the main sail in the lee of the Pitons and we head south. Wayne goes to sleep. It is just before 6am.

Hour 1: at the helm staying close to the lee of St Lucia to try to get a better wind angle and not beat into the waves once we head toward our course. Wayne is passed out. Matt turn on the water maker to fill the tanks and puts out the fishing lines with the hopes of catching the very elusive tuna fish. We set the jib and are on our way to tackling the 60+ nm day.

Hour 2: heading on course to Bequia, Wayne is sleeping in position 3. Matt is restarting his fancy lazy jack system I mentioned yesterday. He created one line/low friction rings (eyes) at home to learn how to do it, then completed two more on our trip last spring and then completed 3-4 more last December. The remaining lines required him to go up the mast to take measurements, which we did in SXM. Wayne wakes up long enough to bring in the jib due to heavy winds and then goes out again. So out comes the massive array of lines and tools to relearn the complicated process.

Hour 3: me at the helm still, getting excited to see the lee of St. Vincent as it gives me hope for smoother waters. We’ve had 28-29 knots of wind and 3-4′ seas. Jib is out again, as the weather is not terribly bad, but a little uncomfortable at times when the you challenge the waves in the wrong direction. Wayne is still out.

Hour 4: in the lee of St. Vincent and Matt is cooking breakfast. We are not too hungry as we had two huge Roti’s in St Lucia yesterday for lunch. A Roti is stew wrapped in tortillas with island loving sauce, (Kathryn would love these). Anyway, Matt makes sure I’m fed as I’m still prone to seasickness on long voyages and “weather” so breakfast tacos filled with egg, onion, tomato, bell pepper, and potatoes. Wayne wakes up to finish his water, eat his taco and is out-again. Matt is diligently working on his lazy jack lines, and I’m at the helm.

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Hour 5: The islands seems a little browner this year, we noticed it in st Lucia and now with St Vincent-still no rain this trip for us or the islands. Winds keep tossing us around but our boat is Yare (not ya’ll for my Texas loving friends) but Yare for my sailing loving friends (meaning the boat is flexible and in ship shape). I laugh at myself as I day dream and Matt looks at me quizzically. A few days ago I was kidding around and asked if the flying fish get headaches when the splash into the waves–making us all laugh. I assume they only get headaches when they splash into the side of our boat. Well, there were some silly white birds sitting in the water ahead of us and I thought they were fishing markers. Let me explain–the local fisherman mark their lines, cages, baskets with bottles that are mostly white. Usually not a problem when there is no wind, as wind creates white caps that hide and disguise the white water bottles. Other fisherman are nice and actually put bright neon tape around the bottles to help you spot them in the sea so you don’t run over them (which is very bad for your props). There are still other fisherman who make their lines with clear plastic bottles–I mean really! How are we expected to see them in the sea? Anyway, back to my birds, as I’m getting ready to maneuver around them they get up and fly away–not fishing markers. Wayne is still asleep (Donald, sound familiar?)

Hour 6: back in the “weather”, Matt hacking away at his project, Wayne sleeping.

Hour 7: the end is almost near, we are close to Bequia, Matt turns off the watermaker and starts to reel in one of our three trolling lines as the 2nd line catches something. Wayne pops up from sleep and the first thing out of his mouth was OF2S (which Jamie will understand). Unfortunately the line broke before the elusive Charlie got onto the boat. It’s 1pm and Matt went ashore to clear us into the country. I forced the boys to stay here rather than power onto to Canouan as I’m done and Wayne doesn’t get a vote. I need to get ashore to walk around and get my legs moving. New flag up and ashore we go.

With all this said, I pick on Wayne sleeping the day away as he very rarely does. He puts in as much sweat and labor into this boat as Matt and I do and we are grateful to have him aboard-as we love our Wayne! >

Or we’re they miniature whales? Either way they were majestic and gone before we could take any photos so you will have to take my word for it. Long sail days give you lots of time to day dream! Wayne and I have been taking turns at the helm as Matt cannot sit still long enough to captain the boat. He has been completing boat projects which as you know are endless.

He repaired our American propane switch for the oven/stove, lazy jacks that gave way yet again (which still need to be replaced by the fancy new line and low friction rings that he has been working on for the past two trips), and replaced the very uncomfortable back supports at both helms. Wayne and I have just sailed us to each destination for hours on end it seems. We’ve had some 10-12 hour sail days getting up and off the hook by dawn and rolling in just before sunset. We have made much better time each day than we had planned, but not being able to chilax for a few days is long over due.

Rain has alluded us much to our disappointment as our boat is super salty and could use the bath. But she is full of fuel, the tanks are full of water, the fridge is full of Shandy and Pitons (and food) and all is good!

Keep in mind that motor sailing is a LOT different than sailing and it is not nearly as fun when you have to clear 60-70+ nautical miles each day. But the days have been good to us, the weather, and the boat Yare throughout all conditions.

Life is good