Day 11, Ascension Island to Grenada

1300Z 02JUN22, Day 11, Ascension Island to Grenada. We are still moving well. We are watching weather forecasts closely and generally happy with our progress. The winds have moved around a bit, but remain around 15kts +/-5kts. The current seems to have FINALLY stopped hindering our progress.

Current Position: 02 17N / 032 30W
24 hour progress: 128nm, 5.3kts avg SOG. Overall progress for the passage is 1337nm, approximately 1837nm to Grenada. We shook out reefs throughout the afternoon and sailed a reach. Our reach moved from a broad reach to a beam reach and back to a broad reach. We poled out the genoa for a couple of hours of downwind sailing this morning, then stowed the pole and returned to a beam reach; all done to maintain the same course.

The winds have been a bit shifty, changing directions just enough to keep us busy. We have adjusted sails to compensate and continue our NW track. We have continued to enjoy more winds than forecast. This is really good for us as we keep making progress across an area that will become the doldrums at a rate slightly better than our weather routing software suggested we would. We continue to hope that engine start time remains a day or two away. It is our current challenge and we spend a lot of time thinking about it, watching it and contingency planning. It will work out, but this blog is about what happens on board and this is our current, most pressing "happening" obsession.

Yesterday, around midday, we had a drink with Poseidon (the Greek god of the sea and not our male cat), some Navy strength gin for Poseidon, G&Ts for the adults and a delicious mocktail for the boys. Daxton is quite the mocktail mixologist these days. We also enjoyed some special rum raisin chocolate. Later in the afternoon, Megan cut Jon's hair and outside showers were enjoyed in an attempt to cool off.

The cloud cover returned over night, and the humidity rose. So far no rain though the boat is a bit salty and could use a rinse off. That will surely come, so for now we are just happy with the overcast. It isn't great for solar power, but it is slightly less oppressive for the heat.

Nothing else too exciting aboard. Nike seems to be fine. We rolled the ship's clocks back an hour again to UTC -2. We are all a bit tired, likely due to the heat, and a bit grumpy with each other. Still no fish. More lines of sargassum weed today. Megan & Daxton will finish their 10 day wellness challenge and will have to decide if they continue or take a rest day.