anna and alex sailing
Our boat is Pantalaimon II (Panties for short ) a Rustler 42 and Alex and I left England in May 2015 and spent 5 months sailing down to the Canaries via France, Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar.
We had plenty of time in the Gran Canaria to prepare for the crossing but this blog begins on the ARC Start Day.
Our fresh fruit and veg delivery ready to stow
Day 1 Sunday 22nd November 2015
RACE DAY!
List of last minute jobs
Lots of music, brass bands photos and farewells to many of the fascinating crews we have met in the build up to the Rally. We loved attending the seminars and social events organised by the ARC committee where we have made friends for life.
Last minute photo of us just before departure
Time to go! Slipped 11.30
Loads of people waving and cheering, all very exciting. Colourful flags waving in the sunshine.
Make our way to the outer harbour where boats are gathering.
Some sails already hoisted, mainly GBR so we hoist our main.
Lots of reaching back and forwards, waving at Seraphina and Dawn Chorus. No sign of Pisces.
Many large beautiful yachts and the Racers look ready for the off. After the Racing group are the Multihulls and then we are 10 mins after them.
Wind 30- 35 knots N-NE, 1 reef in the main and then Yankee unfurled just before the start. We have a good start just behind the general mayhem of broaching yachts and many boats with too much sail.
Wind gusting 40 knots as we head South for a few miles then turn South West. What a sleigh ride. Big seas and continually high winds.
Luckily vacuum packed homemade Green Thai Pork curry for dinner.
We are going to be fairly relaxed with the timings of our watches and adjust according to weather conditions or if one of us needs a little extra rest. Our watches last between 2 and 5 and a half hours hours if all is quiet and good weather conditions. I think they maybe short watches tonight as a strong wind and big waves and it always takes a couple of days to settle in to a long passage.
Day 2 Monday 23rd November 2015
Not much sleep as very windy and noisy overnight.
Pear and banana with yoghurt for breakfast then sail sorting as the reefed Main is a mess. Turn into wind and re-reef the Main, spinnaker pole rigged and Yankee set. Thats much better but its taken most of the morning and was quite scary facing into the waves. They are a lot bigger 'bow on' than when you are surfing down them! Max so far 12.2 knots.
Tuna, red pepper and red onion salad for lunch then take it in turn for afternoon sleeps. Supper is pre prepared coq au vin and carrots. Alex first night watch. Both of us sleep better than the first night as there is less noise and we are adjusting to the big seas. Occasional light showers overnight but quite warm and making good progress. Boats beginning to disperse but did manage radio chatter with Into the Blue and Anders and Maria on Cavatina.
163 miles in last 24 hours 328 miles in total
Day 3 Tuesday 24th November
I'm up at 07.15 and Alex goes to sleep. Feeling very perky today. Wind 22-28 knots and sea not quite so huge. Mango, banana and yoghurt for breakfast followed by refreshing showers.
ARC update and we're doing pretty well. 3 reefs in Main at the moment with full poled out Yankee. Lots of great surfs. Lunch is left over chicken and salad.
Bit of a problem in the afternoon. The batteries seem to be sliding around under the aft bunk where we sleep. We have to remove all the bedding and unscrew the boards to get at the batteries. Manage to secure them with wooden blocks and plugs then reassemble berth and bedding. Well that passed the afternoon.
Meanwhile Pantalaimon is sailing beautifully with the help of Carly our Hydrvane. (Carly Simons "You're So Vain"). Homemade beef curry from the freezer and padron peppers. Delicious.
Alex first sleep tonight. Wind continues at 25-32 knots. Flying along again. Couple of showers overnight and 5 other yachts visible on AIS. Damp and grey at dawn. Sunrise 07.40. definitely further West.
170 miles in last 24 hours 498 miles in total
Day 4 Wednesday 25th November
Showers for us both plus ARC contact and weather assessment. Still doing well, 20 miles ahead of Seraphina (44' Island Packet). AWOL gone South and Pisces (Contessa 32) doing well. Winds dropping a bit tomorrow which will be a bit of a relief as its been F6-7 with big seas. Though that has helped our progress, much warmer and sunnier today which is great.
Pork Thai curry out of the freezer tonight - may attempt some cooking tomorrow. Having our homemade prepared meals in the freezer has definitely helped these first few days while we adjust to the passage and waves. A big pod of dolphins appeared early evening, great morale boosters. However it the got quite windy again and disaster struck. The glass plate flew out of the microwave and shattered into a zillion pieces. Oh dear what a mess but I didn't cry just brushed it all up and then fell into the bunk exhausted.
172 miles in last 24 hours 670 miles in total
Day 5 Thursday 26th November
Uneventful night although wind still 25-32 knots. Sunny morning. Sorted through the fresh fruit and veg to check nothing going off and decide what needs eating first. Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, onions and mangoes all lasting very well.
Wind dropped to 18-25 knots so shake a reef out of the Main. Avocado and egg salad for lunch. Both of us feel settled into our routine now. Actually very restful today with the gentler wind. Coq au Vin for dinner.
Quite pleased with the weather forecast as looks like more wind where we are. Heading almost due West at the moment to try and stay in the windy sector.
Famous last words. That was the night from hell. Completely becalmed with wind going round in circles. Very frustrating. We spent an hour at midnight trying to make a plan. Very loud squeaky sounds as the boom swings around as the swell tips us from side to side despite the boom-break being tight.
115 miles in last 24 hours 785 miles in total
Day 6 Friday 27th November
Everything feels a bit better in the morning but that was a frustrating night. Both of us tired as neither slept well due to the swell and boom swinging and squeaking. Still light winds so discuss the sail plan. Decide to pole out the Yankee on the boom and the Code Zero on the spinnaker pole so we have 2 headsails. Really hard work getting it all sorted but eventually sails seem well set. A bit worried that we may get chafe on the Yankee sheets where they are rubbing on the end of the boom. Too tired to try anything else so we take it in turns for afternoon naps.
Very hot and sunny now - hurrah. Swell has dropped too and wind 12-18 knots and sails working well. She looks a picture and making better progress. Moral boosting roast chicken with lemon gravy and roast veggies.
125 miles in last 24 hours 911 miles in total
Day 7 Saturday 28th November
Longest time I've ever spent at sea for me now. Beautiful morning, blue skies with the odd little cumulus cloud. We discuss the sails again and have a cunning plan to reduce the chafe on the Yankee sheets involving a Dyneema block and the topping lift. All goes according to plan and we are both much happier with that.
However we decide we want to swap the Yankee and Code Zero to opposite sides to try and get the Yankee to fill better. 2 hours later and all is good and we've picked up speed. A well deserved chicken and avocado salad for lunch in the sunshine.
Make chicken stock for prawn risotto tomorrow and pressure cook the rest of the spuds and freeze them as they look like they won't last much longer. The rest of the fruit and veg looks good but avocados need eating.
Left over roast chicken and cheesy leeks for supper. Quiet night with gentle breeze of 8-14 knots.
99 miles in last 24 hours 1010 miles in total
Day 8 Sunday 29th November
Beautiful morning, getting hotter now. Wind much the same but more appears to be South of us so we adjust our course. Feels like a day of rest today as sails working well so no need for sail changes today.
Decide its wash day and put the clothes in the builder's bucket and jump around on them as if I'm treading grapes! Peg them out on the guard rails and use the water to give the cockpit a good clean. Quiet afternoon so nice to catch up on some rest. Spent some time reading the Pilot books - Grenada to the Virgin Isles. All looks very exciting. "Are we there yet?"
Prawn risotto for dinner followed by another frustrating night with very little wind. Furled the Yankee which was just flapping in an irritating manner and sailed with the Code Zero drifting along at 3.5 knots in 6 knots of wind.
94 miles in last 24 hours 1106 miles in total
Day 9 Monday 30th November
More mango for breakfast in the sunshine. We had 9 huge mangoes when we left and only 2 left now. They've kept really well. So far we've only chucked 2 pears, 2 lemons, 1 orange and 1 avocado. The green tomatoes are turning red as are the green peppers.
Last Mango on Panties
Wind picks up late morning and we are sailing nicely again with the 2 headsails. We fix one of the reefing lines on the Main which had completely chafed through we think during the night from hell when the boom squeaked and banged all night. I can highly recommend a boom break which has kept the boom from swinging and acts as an additional preventer.
Very hot afternoon and even I retire to the shade. Steady progress although only 8-10 knots of wind. But good news in the weather forecast, more wind heading our way.
Alex cooked a delicious spaghetti bolognese for dinner.
109 miles in last 24 hours 1214 miles in total
Day 10 Tuesday December 1st
A gentle night but enough wind to keep us going still with our Yankee and Code Zero. Wind picked up 09.00 so decide to put the Code Zero away and have the Main with 1 reef. The Code Zero has been brilliant in the lighter winds. Getting much better with our sail changes so soon well on our way again. Wind gradually increased throughout the day and a nice steady 16-20 knots by early evening.
Domestic goddess day for me! Cleaning and sweeping inside and out plus some bread making. Lunch was a Panties burger with left over mince, avocado, tomato and cheese on homemade bread. Alex caught up on some sleep and I worked very hard on my tan. Gourmet day finished with roast veal, roast sweet potatoes and onions and cabbage.
Panties going swooshing along with 16-20 knots of wind and we are exactly along our Great Circle route. St Lucia here we come. Well navigated by Skipper Alex. Much better mileage made.
162 miles in last 24 hours 1376 miles in total
Day11 Wednesday December 2nd
What a perfect night.Warm with clear skies and loads of stars. 18-24 knots and we are still bang on our Great Circle route. Both feel very happy with our progress, its so frustrating when there is no wind.
We put the Code Zero away this morning as nice steady trade winds forecast for the next few days. We should reach half way in miles today so celebrate with clean sheets on the bed and cockpit cleaning so Panties is clean and tidy for the celebration!
Tuna and egg mayo for lunch with homemade bread. Eggs looking a bit dodgy as they have mould on the outside but inside was fine. If we survive today's eggs I'll clean them and put the rest in the frig.
HALF WAY in the middle of the afternoon - Woohoo. Downhill all the way. Please wind gods be kind to us. Bottle of Cava to celebrate plus veal, mushroom and onion casserole with sweet potato mash.
173 miles in last 24hours 1548 miles in total
Day 12 Thursday December 3rd
Another storming night with even more wind, 22-30 knots. Great course and 1 reef in the Main and the Yankee. 13 knot surf! Really feel we are heading to St Lucia at a great rate.
Today is a very sad day. No more mango or avocado left. The fruit net is looking a bit bare now with 1 melon, 1 orange and some ginger.
Tinned and dried fruit from now on. Black pudding and patron peppers for lunch. Scallops St Jacques and rhubarb and custard for dinner so not all bad!
Emailed AWOL and Dawn Chorus yesterday to see how they are progressing. AWOL have a broken auto pilot and poor Dawn's Mum has died. That must be very difficult for her. Their steering wheel fell off and they've blown their code zero in a force 7.
Not so good for us too as the generator has packed in. Alex will have a go sorting it tomorrow. Probably electrical so maybe a squirt of WD40 will be the cure.
Most miles in 24 hours today.
178 miles in last 24hours 1726 miles in total
Day 13 Friday 4th December
Force 6-7 overnight. Gusting 34-36 knots. Absolutely whizzing. its like being on a non stop rollercoaster.
Poor Alex spent an uncomfortable couple of hours cramped by the generator to try and fix it. Access not great. No luck, so we will keep the freezer going tonight but will need to empty it tomorrow. We will cook what we can and put anything that will last in the frig. Tortilla and salad for lunch.
Both knackered tonight as been pretty windy and Alex had a busy time with the generator.
171 miles in last 24 hours 1897 miles in total
Day 14 Saturday 5th December
Another excellent night but thankfully not quite as wild as the night before. Steady 25-28 knots.
I spent the morning sorting out the food from the freezer. Cooked up the raspberries for a compote, sausages cooking in the oven and a couple of joints of meat in the frig. Also some mince and diced lamb that is still frozen and vacuum-packed so should last a bit longer.
Slight sausage disaster as when I opened the oven both trays of sausages flew out. Just as well I was wearing my boots as oil went over my left foot. Sausages salvaged from floor and sterilised back in the oven and fat cleared up. Very nice sausage salad for lunch. Beef madras from the freezer tonight with spicy potatoes and cabbage.
I appear to give up with the mileage at this point.
Day 15 Sunday December 6th
Steady night sailing with 18-25 knots with a relatively calm sea so very pleasant. Not too many jobs today so a relative day of rest. Ate the last bit of melon, we've still got the frozen raspberries then it will be tinned fruit. We actually had tinned peaches and cereal this morning and they were delicious. I can't remember the last time I had tinned peaches.
Alex and I has quite a heated discussion as to wether to put in an extra reef. He won so we now have a 2 reefed Main. Less than 700 miles to go and still making 150 - 170 miles every 24 hours. We are hoping to be there on Friday so may be only 5 more nights. Water ran out so no washing up and I'm off to bed.
Day 16 Monday 7th December
A more frustrating night. Quite rolly and wind very variable although it looks better this morning.
We need to lower the Main as some of the mainsail clips have come out of the cars. We also want to shake a reef out and gybe to get a better angle on St Lucia. That all takes a couple of hours along with some heavy rain so rewarded with chorizo and baked beans for lunch. Both need our afternoon naps today. We also needed to get some more drinking water out from under the fore berth which involved moving lots of stuff which we were storing in there.
Alex filled our tanks with the water maker today so we are well stocked with shower water and drinking water. The water maker has been fabulous as we have been taking at least one shower a day and sometimes two. It really is refreshing to have a good shower when you are tired and grubby!
Moroccan lamb for dinner and ready for sleep.
Day 17 Tuesday 8th December
Should be in St Lucia sometime Thursday evening/night. Probably only 2 more full nights at sea. Another variable night with some squalls and rain. All better this morning which is truly beautiful without a cloud in the sky. Peaches, raspberries and cereal for breakfast - a delicious combination.
Disaster of the day - the top of the balsamic vinegar has come off and the bottle toppled over in the cupboard so there is balsamic everywhere. Major cleaning job. Remember to always check your bottle tops and be careful with your stowing. I'm not doing anything else except sun bathing.
Bolognese sauce with cheese and onion ravioli for supper.
Day 18 Wednesday 9th December
A reasonable night with good progress in winds of 18-22 knots. One rain shower overnight and another this morning. That's the Tropics for you. At least its warm rain. Fresh bread for lunch. Lamb curry with peppers tonight - all the peppers have gone red but lasted really well.
Feeling strange as this may be our last night at sea. I sort of don't want it to finish but I do also want to get there! Really lovely lamb curry then last night of watches.
Day 19 Thursday 10th December
Very windy night 25-35 knots. I had one big squall with lots of rain. Still windy this morning but we are nearly there so
I just don't care.
Pleasant day, a bit of tidying and good afternoon sleeps so we are fresh for our arrival. Spot Martinique before St Lucia which has plenty of rain clouds hovering over it. Eventually the land masses become much clearer - we are nearly there. We put our racing number back up and hoist the St Lucia courtesy flag. We also revise our notes for the end of the race.
Left over curry for supper as neither of us want to be down below as we approach St Lucia. Wind a bit variable so we shake out our reef and head towards Pigeon Island on the North coast of St Lucia as night falls.
Excitement is mounting but the last 15 miles seem to take forever. Hurrah arrive at Pigeon Island and sail along the North coast before turning into Rodney Bay and the Finish Line. We spot the ARC finish Boat flashing orange and then finally see the flashing white low in the water - the other end of the Finish Line.
A few big gusts and we are flying towards the line with a photographer zapping around in his rib taking photos.
OMG we have finished We have crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Just the two of us in our beautiful, wonderful Rustler 42.
Now we have to focus again and get us all safely into the Marina. Sails down, fenders out, mooring lines prepared. The lights on shore and in the marina are quite mesmerising and confusing having spent so many dark nights at sea. Red Right Returning we keep repeating as we pass through what seems like a very narrow cut leading from the bay into the marina.
Eventually manage to follow the torch lights to our berth where we are met by four lovely blokes to take our lines and welcome us to St Lucia. Are we really here?
We are presented with a large basket of fruit and a bottle of rum followed by several glasses of very strong rum punch. That feels good. Time to step onto land and head for the bars. Couple of rum punches with the crew from AMA and then back for a massive sleep!!!!
Friday 10th December
We know we are waking up in the Caribbean as loud reggae is emitting from the pleasure boat moored next to us at 07.00!! They made it up to us later with a rather nice rum punch.
The sun is shining and there are bright colours everywhere, flags, boats, clothes and the marina. We now have a whole season to explore the Caribbean before tucking Pantalaimon up in Grenada at the end of May.
What an adventure we have had and just looking forward to all that follows.
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