After over two months in the Canary Island(s) we are finally underway. Our time spent with old friends and new all gathering here to cross the Atlantic was special. Playa Francesca allowed us to meet many of the hundreds of yachts making the crossing this year. Most made this their first stop in the…

We have been having a smooth mostly motorboat ride under fair skies with little wind. We did try to sail yesterday for a few hours using our Code Zero headsail and full main but could only manage windspeed on a beam reach. So when the wind dropped below 5 knots we fired up the…

We managed to sail all day and part of last night. The nights have been really dark and we have only seen two ships (one was the MSC SORAYA – 227m long and all lit up). 12-12-10 noon position: 25d 08′ N, 18d 27′ W Noon to noon : 190 nm 227d T It…

We are still enjoying warm clear skies but with little wind have remained under power for the past 24 hours. Tried to fish yesterday but no luck. A couple ships last night: ‘Chestnut’ & ‘Growth Ring’ (?) and one small vessel barely visible on radar. Noon to Noon: 175 nm, 246d T. 12-13-10 noon…

We had some excitement yesterday with three orcas swimming around us for a short time. We happened to be under sail gliding along at eight knots in smooth seas when they came to investigate. Orcas are known to hunt in packs to take a whale. Aluminum probably doesn’t ping like blubber so they left…

We have been having a great sail on a close reach in light winds using our biggest headsail the Code 0. Katie calls this the jewelry sail because the whole rig with furler, spectra sheets and halyard costs about as much as a Coco Chanel watch Kurt has been discouraging her from buying. We…

After sailing in mostly light wind for the past two days, riding a high pressure ridge to keep the wind ahead of the beam and enjoying some increased wind speed, we are now motoring again this morning in calm conditions. Noon to noon: 165 nm, 230d T. Noon position 12-16-10: 18d 15′ N, 27d…

We had another lovely day yesterday under full sail on a close reach in 6-9 kn of wind. The wind died at sunset and we have been motoring all night. Kurt changed all fuel filters in preparation for what appears to be a calm ahead. Noon to noon: 192 nm 254d T. 12-17-10 noon…

After motoring all day and half the night in calm conditions we are now trying to sail downwind in 8 kn of Easterly. At around 0130 this morning the newly replaced main engine fuel filter (spin on FRAM) developed a crack in the bottom and sqirted a couple gallons of fuel in the engine…

The wind slowly built yesterday as we sailed wing and wing on port jibe down to 15 degrees N. Just before a great wahoo fajita dinner we jibed to Starboard and are now wing and wing making our usual half windspeed downwind in 15 kn of building easterly breeze. The sailing has been warm…