Time to cast off lines and put Cape Town to our rudder as we set sail for Sint Maarten
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Steady winds on a beam reach means we set all the mainmast stay sails, including the "deckswabber".
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Birthdays on a beam reach can be challenging.
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Sail mending is never done.
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Unreefed the mizzen topsail and enjoyed the sunset from aloft.
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Just before sunrise the orders came for "more canvas!" So we laid aloft to release the clew gasket and unfurl the mizzen top gallant.
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Sunrise was spectacular with the waning crescent moon coming above the horizon just before dawn.
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How it started / how it's going.
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Making way at 10 knots.
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Land ho!
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We reached the Grenadines ahead of schedule so we hove-to in Tobago Cay and snorkelled around the deserted islands with sea turtles. Tomorrow we resume sailing towards Sint Maarten.
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"Heave to" means to sharply brace the main mast yards counter to those on the fore and mizzen, which makes the ship almost stationary. We also harbor furled all the sails, both to look nice and to reduce windage aloft while at anchor.
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Secret bosun trick for starting charcoal.
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How sharply did we brace when we hove-to? The course yards are against the backstays and you could step from the fore to the main mast Flemish horses where the stunsail booms crossed.
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We are preparing to sail off our anchor close hauled with the wind from starboard, but expect to tack later today so we've unfurled the spanker to assist with the manoeuvre.
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Hauling out the spanker!
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We successfully tacked and only lost a few sea miles of height while bracing around with the foremast backed.
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New tack, new gravity.
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After a short day sail, we dropped anchor and hove-to in Bequia's Port Elizabeth, then harbor furled all the sails for the night.
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One of the mates claimed they could harbor furl the main course alone, a task that usually is assigned four or even eight hands. What an absolute unit!
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Good bye Bequia! Next stop, Sint Maarten.
