Day 17, Ascension Island to Grenada

1300Z 08JUN22, Day 17, Ascension Island to Grenada. The winds were a bit lower, which was forecasted, so our speeds were a bit slower. This morning there have been rain clouds making the winds far more variable.

Current Position: 08 40N / 042 37W
24 hour progress: 129nm, 5.4kts avg SOG. Overall progress for the passage is 2084nm, approximately 1149nm to Grenada. We sailed a beam reach to a broad reach for the past 24 hours, adjusting reefs as needed. We are currently sailing with 1 reef in the main and a full genoa.

Yesterday we had a good bit of sun to go along with the haze and humidity. The winds were up and down. We shook out one reef from the main and later the second reef. By dinner time we put one reef back into the main and were back to a beam reach.

Overnight the winds continued to be up and down. Our speeds correspondingly were up and down. Our point of sail went from a beam reach to a broad reach and sometimes moved around within those points of sail. The seas settled but we continued to get a random wave here and there that would knock things over or out of hands in the galley. More spilled concentrated milk and spilled water dribbling into the refrigerator and bilge. It is a frustration to be sure.

From early morning into daylight hours there have been a number of rain clouds. This has meant even more variable winds. Our point of sail and sail trim have been changed to meet the conditions as we try to keep a good course to Grenada.

It's a bit of a gray morning. There are bits of blue in the sky and there is significantly less haze around, but there are also a lot of high level clouds. Perhaps the rains have washed some of the dust from the air or perhaps we are getting a break from it, at least for now.

Still no fishing luck. Jon and Daxton have diligently tried to keep the weed off of the line. And the clearing of W&S and the dagger board continued, as well, of course. It is a never ending job when there is so much sargassum weed.

There have been a few birds around. We believe they are a type of petrel, but aren't entirely sure. Our bird identification tools are in need of some internet! The Merlin Bird ID app still thinks we are in southern Chile. So the boys have to actively browse through their bird packs to try to ID birds and they aren't sure if they have all the correct packs downloaded. They are a medium sized, soaring, sea bird which makes a petrel a logical guess.

We continued to move well, in the right direction. Things remain pretty good.