Day 4, St Martin to the Azores

1600Z 31MAY23, Day 4, St Martin to the Azores. More of the same with the days starting to blend together.

Current Position: 25 36N / 059 51W
24 hour progress: 120nm, 5.0kts avg SOG. Overall progress for the passage is 505nm, approximately 1760nm to the Azores.

We have been gliding along under full sails. We only made minor adjustments to course and point of sail over the past 24hours. We are still sailing a close reach on a starboard tack making a course just north of rhumb line. The winds remain light and the seas flat. We are happy that we continue to make decent speed (for us) in these light winds.

We spotted a light on the horizon to our starboard during the evening watch. It was a sailboat that we quickly passed during Megan's watch. There was no AIS broadcasting from the sailboat and it was sailing with an anchor light on. We could still see his sails at daybreak, though he quickly became a small speck on the horizon. We tried to call him around 7am but there was no answer on the radio. He's just recently fully disappeared behind us so maybe he had a bit more sail up during the daytime. We easily passed him over the night.

All is well on board. No rain at all yesterday and no cells to avoid. The night sky was beautiful with good light from the moon. Then amazing stars that filled in after the moon set. It's so peaceful to sail in these smooth conditions. We are enjoying the relaxed pace and calm ocean. It isn't expected to last, so best to enjoy it while we have it. In between watching movies, listening to music, reading, and playing games, we have been taking on small maintenance tasks.

Sargassum continues to decrease. The fishing line is still out; still no takers. The birds seem to be less and the flying fish a bit more plentiful. One flying fish hit the boat on Megan's night watch, startling her as it banged against the roof. She shined a light on him and saw him flop around a couple of times on deck before re-entering the ocean.

Day 3, St Martin to the Azores

1600Z 30MAY23, Day 3, St Martin to the Azores. We had a quiet and reflective Memorial Day. We are thankful for all those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom.

Current Position: 23 53N / 060 54W
24 hour progress: 130nm, 5.4kts avg SOG. Overall progress for the passage is 385nm, approximately 1865nm to the Azores.

We sailed yesterday with 1 reef in the main. Conditions were sometimes a little frustrating as we navigated around rain cells. The cells gather up the wind and sometimes the wind is from a different direction. There was a time or two when the winds dropped around a cell and sails banged around for a bit, but then the winds returned. Sometimes we made a direct course and sometimes we were more northerly.

Early in the night we had a very dark sky and put a second reef in the main while being rained on a bit. It turned out to be a small cell, though one of the first that we actually went through rather than around. The increased winds quickly dissipated, but we kept the 2nd reef in and continued to move well overnight. This morning winds were down and we shook both reefs out. We have been flying along under full sails in flat seas with 10-15kts of breeze. We expect the light winds and calm conditions to continue for a couple more days.

Everyone is adjusting well. Sea legs are established and we are starting to find our rhythms. Appetites are slowly returning and Megan prepared a wonderful dinner that rapidly disappeared. The boys each stood a full watch yesterday. Even so, we are all still a bit tired as we continue to settle in to passage life.

We've had a couple of cargo ships on the AIS but nothing close enough to see. We passed by a bucket, a short length of floating line and a piece of lumber. There are occasionally small bits of sargassum that float by, but it is minimal. The fishing line is out - still no takers despite plenty of verbal pleas from our youngest. We infrequently spot birds and flights of flying fish. The nights are starting to be a bit cooler but the days are still hot with us all hiding from the sun.

Day 2, St Martin to the Azores

1600Z 29MAY23, Day 2, St Martin to the Azores. We are moving along. The winds have lightened a bit and the seas are calmer. It is nice, easy blue sky sailing. We are pretty happy with this comfortable course and speed.

Current Position: 22 01N / 062 01W
24 hour progress: 123nm, 5.1kts avg SOG. Overall progress for the passage is 255nm, approximately 1980nm to the Azores. Another 100nm off of the rhumb line. This morning we shook out a reef in the main so are down to 1 reef with around 15kts of wind - sometimes more, sometimes less. Still on a close reach. The course has varied from N to about 030.

Not a whole lot to report. We had a cargo ship pass us at about 3nm. Everything else is pretty quiet and low key. Everyone is sleeping and adjusting. The calm conditions are welcome and has everyone feeling well.

Megan had a caffeine withdrawal headache yesterday that was pretty bad by evening time but she was able to take some ibuprofen and sleep. She was then feeling much better.

Poseidon is also feeling better and moving around. He has been hanging out in the cockpit with us. Inside the boat is rather hot with the hatches closed and most of the sun covers stowed, so it's good for him to get out and feel the cooler air. He still isn't very wise about windward and leeward sides so keeps picking the high side and sliding towards the low side.

The boys are standing a little bit of watch which helps the parents get a bit more sleep. The sea legs are coming along for all.

The fishing line is out. Cedar plug now, squid yesterday - but no bites. The sargassum seems to be largely disappearing so not as much need to clear the hook (or the daggerboard or the Watt&Sea). A few masked boobies and other birds now and again but mostly just lots of blue ocean.

Day 1, St Martin to the Azores

1600Z 28MAY23, Day 1, St Martin to the Azores. After almost a year break from crossing the Atlantic Ocean, it seemed time to do it again. We enjoyed a much more leisurely cruise through the Caribbean this time through, but after a year in the heat it is time to find cooler climes. We are hoping to cruise Northern high latitudes next and decided we would get there via the Azores. With the preparations complete, we set off!

Current Position: 20 05N / 062 35W
24 hour progress: 132nm, 5.5kts avg SOG, approximately 2080nm to Horta. We knocked about 100nm off of the rhumb line course with our NNE course.

It was a tough "see you later" to our wonderful friends on Paikea (www.youngbarnacles.com). We have spent many nights as neighbors between Martinique, Antigua and St Martin. It's been excellent spending time with them again since meeting 5 years ago in Barcelona when we were both new to this family cruising stuff. They are also prepping to cross to the Azores but should be faster then us and still have some tasks remaining before they set off. See you in the Azores!

We had a few hiccups getting underway. Our windlass problems persist, but perhaps we are closer to understanding the root cause of the issue (or maybe we aren't). After a bit of work and another swapped stripper we weighed anchor at around noon local. We crawled out of the bay as we got things sorted and the boat setup. By 12:30 (16:30 UTC) the sails were set and we were sailing.

The weather routing has us going NNE so we decided to leave Anguilla to our starboard and had a downwind sail and some wing on wing time. We were soon clear and set up on a close reach, making 015-020 COG.

There were some morning rain showers as we prepped to get underway, but we haven't gotten any significant rain along our path. We've been sailing with 2 reefs in the main and went to 3 reefs briefly due to some rain on the horizon but we easily avoided it and were back at 2 reefs until sunset when we put a third reef in for the night. The winds have been 15-20kts with a bit more for the first half of the night and we put a reef in the genoa. Speeds slowed overnight (sargassum, current and lower winds all contributed). When the sun rose reefs were shaken out and the daggerboard and Watt&Sea cleared of the sargassum resulting in a welcome boost.

The crew is in good spirits. We are all happy to be on the move - even after a tough goodbye and a rough start to getting underway. Poseidon has been sick and then drooling, but is moving around for water. We all feel a bit sleepy and are trying to relax into the rhythm of the passage.

The fishing line is in, but regularly needs clearing of sargassum so it might not stay out. We saw a good number of birds - boobies and terns - yesterday. We are down to the occasional masked booby now and some flying fish. Otherwise it's blue, sunny and hot.