[password]seabird14
[position] 01 33.4 N 030 38.7 W
[heading] 317T
[speed] 6.5kts
[weather] 15kts ESE, seas 2 NE swell and cross seas, squalls, cc 100%, 1011 mb, 84F
[status] DAY 17 1863 nm to Barbados. Stbd broad reach sgl rf main and jib, 15kts at 100T. As promised we three spent a celebratory afternoon in the cockpit soaking up the sunshine and light SE winds while enjoying cold beverages and freshly baked chocolate peppermint cookies along with a game of Scrabble. All the while we kept an eye on a line of black clouds off the bow which we hoped would mark the change to the elusive NE wind. Last night after several false starts in squalls and between the first and second bites of an omelet at supper time the long awaited wind shift occurred. In a matter of seconds the wind backed 100 degrees, the jib back winded and after wrestling Kailani back on starboard we were actually headed on course for Barbados. Unfortunately the new track put the St Paul and St Peter Rocks directly in our path. The only hazards for 1,000 miles in any direction and we had to avoid them in light winds. We rejected shooting the ten mile gap between them and trying to leave them to windward wasn't feasible as the apparent wind would have dropped to naught. So we sheeted in and pinched up and in the wee hours cleared them by almost 9 miles. All we saw was the glow of the light on St Paul. But with the hazards behind us and 1900 miles of open ocean before us we had a leisurely few hours of on course sailing as the wind began to build, albeit with a little more north in it than we would have liked. Well we may have found the north easterlies, but we were not yet out of the ITCZ. Taking advantage of the relatively smooth ride this morning we took down the Code 0 and stowed it in the hold all he while keeping a wary eye on the dark line of rain clouds off the bow. For the past two hours we have battled through 60 degree wind shifts, up to 40 kts of wind and rain so thick that the bow was virtually invisible. But we were going fast, mostly in the right direction. The wind has gone light and veered back around but there are still clouds all about and we guess that the ITCZ has not quite released its grip on Kailani. All well on board.
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