Askari Report 1200 UTC 18th December 2016

Position 14 46 N 45 52 W
Course 280 degrees
Speed 7.7 knots
Wind East 25-30 knots
Distance in last 24 hours 182 miles

We are seriously flying along - 182 miles woohoo! We only had one squall yesterday but winds have been between 18 and 35 knots for the last 24 hours, with mostly clear skies. It's fair to say the 3 metre seas with a close interval are quite challenging; we are used to sailing in 30 knots in Western Australia but these seas are really quite impressive (code for a bit scary). We have had a few little sploshes and a bit of spray in the wind in the cockpit so have got the washboard up today for the first time on the trip, other than in squalls - we are still amazed at how dry Askari is the whole deck is pretty much dry most of the time. We have not touched the sails for 12 hours when Andrew furled the genoa to about 1.5 reef points. We are still sailing wing on wing with the mini main on the port side but Askari feels quite balanced in these conditions, unless we get spun off the top of a wave; which does happen occasionally.

It's amazing to me how you can adjust to living in these conditions, last night we both slept really well and have got used to the motion - we had sundowners last night of Soda, Lime and Bitters; making a drink with 3 ingredients would have been unthinkable yesterday. We are just super organised and think through every task before embarking on it, often working together to hold or steady things. Everyday we check the bilge, seacocks, charge any batteries used overnight, review the contents of the fridge and agree the meal plan and times. We both try and have at least one little sleep during the day or at least some time off relaxed with noise cancelling headphones on. I prepare all meals, drinks and snacks, as Andrew coincidentally gets seasick in the galley…. Andrew is in charge of bringing in the weather and email plus the navigation and doing the deck checks to ensure we have no chafe points and everything looks good. He also checks the steering and autopilot each day - this can be quite entertaining as it involves him flipping half the mattress in the aft cabin to get under the bunk and he comes out looking like he's been in a fight. We also have alarms set so we don't miss any of the radio schedules to chat with other boats or get information.

I have now taken over radio net control in the afternoon as GB was having trouble reaching all the boats and we are bang smack in the middle now following our amazing couple of days. GB also sound like they have also adjusted, it was only a few days ago they were worried about the wind and size of the waves, however yesterday they were making Christmas decorations, cooking cake and were sad that they had slowed down as their wind was only 20 knots.

AIS continues to be one of our most favourite tools. In the night Andrew spotted a tanker, Haenia Pegasus, at 10 miles off on the AIS; he couldn't see any lights despite it being so close in these seas. He tracked the ship for 2 miles and could clearly see that we were on a collision course. Andrew called the ship on the VHF and they immediately answered saying they could see us too. Andrew explained we were sailing downwind and it was difficult for us to turn so they agreed to alter course and pass 'green to green'. Without AIS we would not have seen this ship until it was ridiculously close and even then with the boat moving around so much it would have been very hard to know if we were at risk of collision, then trying to reach the ship on the radio without knowing the name or co-ordinates always used to be virtually impossible. So thank you Haenia Pegasus and AIS for making that really easy.

About 619 miles to Barbados……

Big waves

Wing and winglet

Squalls

Whooooosh!

Net Controller

More amazing clouds

Sundowners

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Askari Report 1200 UTC 17th December 2016

Position 14 46 N 45 52 W
Course 280 degrees
Speed 7.7 knots
Wind East 25 knots
Distance in last 24 hours 181 miles

Wow 181 miles in 24 hours - that is the furthest Andrew and I have ever sailed in 24 hours and it's been mostly fabulous. Yesterday afternoon was amazing, regular seas and 25 knots of wind, without a cloud in the sky; we turned off the radar and just enjoyed the majestic ocean, reading and chatting about our plans for the Caribbean, whilst listening to Jimmy Buffet.

We called in with the other boats in the evening net and everyone had similar conditions and all were very cheerful. However, Milvina had damaged their main sail earlier so was running a bit slower under tri-sail - they were making contact with sail makers in Barbados so offered to assist with contacts too; this is such a great community.

Andrew had a great watch and I slept well for 4 hours, then I took over and we put the radar on for a quick scan and spotted a small squall but all looked good. We left the radar on and Andrew went to bed, the squall gradually got a bit bigger and was heading straight for us, at two miles away I could see a deep black line in the moonlight so I reefed right down. It was short- lived but winds got to 37 knots however Askari just sat straight and surfed along at 9 knots. After that we had the usual light winds for about 20 minutes and then all settled down again for about an hour before the 'magic porridge pot' of squalls arrived. This thing was huge and every time you thought the end was coming more pouches of wind and rain appeared as mean pink blobs on the radar. I had reefed down and turned the boat down wind; she was fine but the noise of the wind and foamy seas for about an hour and a half is still haunting me today - it probably wouldn't have been that bad in the daylight….. Andrew got up half way through and checked my set up, then we sat through the last of it together before I went to bed and left him with 3 metre seas and about 15 knots of wind - really not pleasant!

Sad news on the Kath front, last night she was driving us mad trying to get inside the boat but then she got really subdued and just sat with her head under her wing. She looked so sad and sick and we felt really bad for her, we tried giving her more water but this morning she went to a watery grave - poor Kath.

Today is another glorious day, however there are still some squalls in the distance. We managed to make contact with the OCC radio net in the Caribbean today - it's pretty impressive to reach yachts this far out so we are very happy with our radio installation.

The weather forecast is for 3 more days of these good winds, however the swell is due to get a bit ugly for 2 days which we are not looking forward to, but all we can think about now is cocktails at Christmas. We hope everyone is enjoying the run up to the festive season - it's funny to think of that all going on while we are out here just focussed on keeping us and the boat safe.

About 800 miles to Barbados……

Lovely clear sky

More ocean.... just glorious

Radio schedule time

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Askari Report 1200 UTC 16th December 2016

Position 15 06 N 42 46 W
Course 280 degrees
Speed 7.6 knots
Wind East 25 knots
Distance in last 24 hours 169 miles

I don't mind admitting we are both a little bit grumpy today, the lovely afternoon yesterday gave way to a squally night and very confused seas making sleep a bit of a challenge. All night the seas have been 2 to 3 metres. At one point we had sustained winds of 33 knots with higher gusts and very heavy rain - luckily that was on Andrew's watch… he actually had to go outside last night, which he didn't like.

One of the issues with the squalls is having to close the boat up so it gets stiflingly hot; sailing down wind means we usually have a breeze flowing through the main hatch. So as a treat last night, while we were running the generator, Andrew snuck the air conditioning on in the bunk cabin before I went to bed as a surprise - pure bliss for the first hour. However, the movement on the boat was pretty fast - as our friend Andrew Boller would say 'spirited' so sleep was very broken. During the night we tried sleeping in nearly every bunk on the boat, so this morning it looked like there had been a slumber party aboard with cushions everywhere (I do have a few).

However, we heard from Blue Roger last night that their dinner ended up on the floor in the galley - that's really not fun! Also Golden Breeze had decided to skip dinner for snacks, as their food wouldn't even stay in a bowl. We are very happy with the way Askari is taking these conditions; whilst we have to be careful moving around we are still fully functioning - the Nespresso Machine has still been out every morning and last night we had delicious lamb casserole that I had made then frozen in the Canaries, for these sort of conditions.

Right, the bird Kath, is beginning to get a bit naughty; she thinks she owns the boat and just stares at us when we try and shoo her out of the cockpit (which is definitely a no bird zone). This morning she came onto the top step inside - bloody bird. Anyone got any training tips?? She appears to have taken up residence.

It was really exciting this morning to clock less than 1,000 miles to Barbados - we are really starting to believe we might get there. The day has now cheered us both up, as the clouds have now passed and we are sailing wing on winglet (our very small main sail), in 25 knots of wind on course with beautiful sunshine. The sea is still pretty big though.

About 981 to Barbados……

It's really quite beautiful

Life jackets on today - with a bikini a good look!

Bird wash!

Our position with Blue Roger (Blue), Golden Breeze (Green) and Milvina (Black) - speed over ground 9.3 knots!

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Askari Report 1200 UTC 15th December 2016

Position 15 55 N 37 05 W
Course 270 degrees
Speed 7.6 knots
Wind East 25 knots
Distance in last 24 hours 164 miles

When we spoke to the other boats at 1500 everyone else had sun but we were still in the grey cloud, however then the squall clouds cleared and it was beautiful, but still pretty windy with seas up to 3 metres rolling down onto us - cobalt blue and mesmerising….

Over night we did not have any squalls but a clear sky, however the wind went around to the East. This meant we went a little north as we had the sails set for North East, we decided to run with it rather than make changes in the dark. We had 20-25 knots all night so made good speed with our very reefed main, even if it wasn't completely on the right course.

At first light we gybed the main and re-ran the preventer lines. I went on the foredeck and it was pretty exhilarating; I also found our first flying fish on deck. We are now running with both sails on the starboard side at 120 degrees making a little more south; which we will do most of the day - this is so if the sea increases we can run directly down wind /waves towards Barbados.

The bird, now named Kath (Aussies think Kath n Kim), is still with us and Andrew is now having conversations with her and putting her on watch. They have bonded so much that she doesn't fly off when he goes in the cockpit, he was just in the shower and she was peering in the bathroom window now he's in the saloon and she is looking through the deck saloon window - seriously?? Maybe we can challenge the guy sailing around the world with a chicken??

During the night we have been running the radar to watch for squalls, at 0500 I noticed a small blip about 5 miles ahead that looked like a boat, could it possibly be? In this huge ocean it's hard to believe you could come across a yacht but it was, no AIS but a clear radar target that we tracked and then passed by at a distance of 3 miles. Then they called us this morning on the VHF as they had an AIS receiver so could see us - German Yacht Lady Sunshine. Andrew conveyed our latest weather reports and had a nice chat; they're also heading to Barbados.

All is well and we are really rested, despite the seas. We have been using a lot more power in the last few days as we are running radar all night and the autopilot is working harder due to this sail configuration. We have increased our generator time from one hour a day to two, which is keeping up. We are generally running the water maker for about one hour a day to keep the tank full, while having long hot showers everyday. We still have over 650L of diesel and only dipped into the freezer for the first time today - Moroccan Lamb Casserole for dinner tonight.

About 1,149 to Barbados……

Kath on the davits

Kath approaching the cockpit

Another cool sunset

No birds in the cockpit

Kath from the bathroom window

Kath at the window

Kath looking for Andrew in the Saloon

This bird seriously???

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Askari Report 1200 UTC 14th December 2016

Position 15 55 N 37 05 W
Course 260 degrees
Speed 6.2 knots
Wind East North East 18 knots
Distance in last 24 hours 166 miles

Well after a glorious afternoon yesterday, the squalls have arrived and are keeping us on our toes; the whole sky is pretty much grey today. The sea is a bit more uniform but around 2.5 metres which means a lot of surfing.

Yesterday afternoon we lost some ground as we had some issues with the main sail, this resulted in having to furl the genoa and turn up wind for a few minutes. We planned the exercise and geared up with all safety precautions, then timed the waves to make the turn. I was on the helm and Andrew was at the mast; my heart was racing but it was all good.

We are now running a little more conservatively (ie racing the other boats has been suspended whilst Carolyn is awake- Andrew) with the main well reefed. The wind is increasing in the afternoons and as I write this we have about 25 knots and have seen up to 30 in the squalls. Askari just got a good wash off in the last squall the first with really heavy rain - we hid inside after we reefed the genoa….

We have a stow away on board today - a white sea bird joined us during the last squall and is pruning itself on the back deck. It's got beady eyes and is now all fluffy in the wind. I wanted to make it a tuna sandwich but Andrew thinks that's ridiculous - it did just poop in the teak so maybe it won't be welcome for long. I think it's enjoying Boy & Bear which is playing in the cockpit today….

Yesterday afternoon I made an incredible dahl and pretty nice zucchini fritters and this morning we had the best Mango ever for breakfast. Food is going well - when we talk to the other boats, everyone is into food and fishing - not much else to do out here…. Serenity has left the radio net as they went to the Cape Verdes, so Golden Breeze has taken over and we have picked up Milvina at last. We have not met Neil and Helen from Milvina but have been chatting to them for about a year, as they ran the Ocean Cruising Club rally that we kept missing in Spain and Portugal; it's great to have Neil on the net. Milvina is about 160 miles south east of us.

The most exciting news is that we have passed half way - now we count down!

About 1,313 to Barbados……

Sunny and windy

All change

Yuck!

Heavy rain

Bird onboard

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