The eve of nearly two weeks on board and what a roller-coaster it has been! We kind of feel we are back in the roller-coaster hot-seat as I write because we have finally, yes finally, started hitching a ride on those infamous trade winds!
Since lunchtime our average speed has been building from 5 knots and we’re now up around the 8-9 knot mark. I was back on helm before dinner and it was fantastic. My watch is now busy trying to steer a dry course through a series of squalls which pepper the horizon, providing for a wonderful backdrop to the closing sunset.
In contrast, yesterday evening and night gave us extremely calm and in some cases soporific sailing conditions. By sunset, and against the predicted weather forecast, the wind dropped right down to non-existent and we were becalmed for most of the first half of the night.
The ocean was literally like a millpond and even though a slight breeze could be felt Lancelot wasn’t budging. Most of us on watch fell asleep at times, thankfully not when on helm, and by the depths of the night around 3am the wind started to pick up and by chance I got to steer us out of the becalmed conditions having just taken the helm at that point.
This morning was all fairly relaxing as we made steady progress under the strengthening wind, but just after lunchtime we had a lesson on how changeable and hostile sailing conditions can be. We were sailing along monitoring a series of squalls when a sudden wind shift had Lancelot pitching around in a very sharp tack, heeling right over at a right angle with the sea. Some of us, myself included were out on the side of Lancelot bringing in the bloody washing (!) when we found ourselves hanging on in a standing position, the sea lapping at our feet. We weren’t exactly moving fast and pretty soon we were back in the right position and heading the correct way. It showed how quickly things can go awry though and why we continually need to be on our guard.
After that excitement the rest of the afternoon passed off without much fuss and we’re now making good progress for St Lucia, I shall close now as we bear down on these squalls…! 1271 nautical miles to go.
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