Day 5, Passage to Panama

1915Z 06APR19, Day 5, USVI to Panama Passage. The wind and the waves picked up last night to around 30kts with higher gusts. We have really been moving with some good sized waves pushing us around. We've even seen our highest sustained speed surfing down a wave - 11kts speed over ground.

We have taken a few larger waves across the boat. Most annoying was a wave that splashed up from the side and into 3 cracked hatches in the middle of the night. Poor Jon was busy cleaning up for awhile while the rest of us tried to keep sleeping! We have had the hatches open to create inside airflow because it has been so hot, and we had not closed them completely in the increased winds and seas. They are all closed up tight now, but we are looking forward to getting better airflow again. Funniest was Daxton sitting outside today in his lifejacket and clipped in - when a wave splashed up and over the side and he was completely drenched. He was in shock and then we all had a good laugh about it. He's now had a salt water bath for the day, dried off and changed clothes. He was happy the lifejacket didn't inflate! (It is supposed to need to be in the water not just splashed.)

Current Position: 11 58N 075 27W
24 hour progress: 158nm, 6.6kts avg SOG, 737nm completed, approximately 310nm to go. Current weather is hot, humid, bright and sunny. Everything feels a bit damp inside and out. We continue to sail a broad reach with winds now falling back to around 25kts +/-5kts true wind. There were 3 reefs in the main and also in the jib, but as winds are calming we are back to 2 reefs in both the main and jib. We have continued to make a course of around 240T, but that is starting to shift as well. We expect the winds to continue to settle back down and shift.

We were all a bit tired and cranky this morning but have had a nice sunny day, and some naps, to cheer our spirits. Nobody seems to have slept well last night. All the wind, sun and speed does have our batteries fully charged and our refrigerator nice and cold.

Cribbage Tally: Jon-7, Megan-1

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