Started the day off by heading to the top of the hill to get Jon and Peter C – they have a stunning view of the sound. Having to hear Jon singing “happy talk” from South Pacific kind of spoiled the moment. Breakfast at “Tamarind” – the eating villa, with Joe arranging for propellors of various shapes and sizes to be fed-x’d to BVI. Customs will think he’s trying to start a drone airline.
After the usual fuss of trying to get a ferry to the yacht club (no roads or paths), arrived at the Lindy just as propellor #1 was delivered. Joe swam under the boat with his James Bond aqualung, and made sure the prop fitted – it did but was missing a part. So still engineless. No matter the club boats towed us off the dock, and with sails up, off to the start we went.
Reasonable start – won the committee boat again, but s tad slow off the line. We headed right into flatter water as soon as we got a lane, and then a 2 mile beat to the first mark. Unusual today to not have a helicopter following us around all day. Big spinnaker up for the run to Seal Islands mark. Not up immediately as we had to rescue it from being washed overboard. No matter up it went and we tore off downwind, rocking and rolling. Next sail was a change to the jib top; douse the spinnaker and gybe. All went well! A long reach down the Francis Drake channel, getting a tow off a bigger Swan (by being pulled along by his wake) to the turning mark off “Fallen Jerusalem Island”, then with a change to #3 jib, we prepared for the long beat home.Just after Spanish Town, the 20-25 knit breeze kicked up a gear as a squall hit. Winds in the mid 30’s sent us racing to throw reefs in the mainsail and generally pull ropes tighter everywhere (I’m sure there may be more to it than just that). Pretty soon the wind abated and we settled back into a long beat to the finish. After a day of hard hiking we were all walking round like John Wayne lookalikes.
This evening was a bbq party at Biras Creek resort, down on its beach. Lovely evening with full moon, bbq, wine and 80’s music.
There has been some feedback on the news posts – we are down a Donald and feel that is holding us back in the foredeck and hiking aspects; down a bunch of Canadians which we feel is contributing to our positive performance; and missing Kent which we feel is hindering our hoistage, though we do have Ben the Belgian pole vaulter doing a stellar job.
And yes the decks are wet; we are wet;and the bow role now involves swimming for the tack fitting.
