Happy New Year from about 250 nm west of the Cape Verde Islands. We decided to bring in 2017 with a sip of Bailey's. Dear friends of ours gave us the glasses when we met them in Norfolk Virginia so we toast all our friends and family from 16*41' N X 029*27 W.
I decided when we left to switch our time from Cape Verde time to Barbados time so that my 24 hour calculations won't get mixed up. I can't say that decision has been working out for the best. We went from -1 UCT to -5 Universal Co-ordinated Time and now our daylight hours go from 0430 to 1530 , it will get better the further west we go but it is a little bizarre at the moment.
This is Day 2 at sea and we are having a terrific sail so far. Once we got out of the wind shadow of Sao Anita the wind has been on the beam and then clocked around so it is on the starboard quarter. We have had two consecutive 150 mile days, wonderful trade wind sailing. The swell is at a different direction from the waves but so far it has not been a problem.
The first day I did not bother to clean the dust off the boat as it was still thick in the air. Yesterday was a little better so I went to work and washed off what I could, with salt water. Our clothes were all brown from raising the sails, handling the lines and brushing against the deck.
We hope that 2017 will be a year where you can realize your potential and work towards following your dreams, only you can make it happen! The power of positive thinking is amazing. This year will see big changes for us as we make a home in Canada once again. Our plan is to leave the boat in Costa Rica, fly home to Canada, set up an apartment and then go back to the boat in the winter of 2018. That is as far as the plan has evolved so far! Here's wishing everyone all the best from the Atlantic Ocean.
What a way to start off 2017. Barry caught this pan sized dorado shortly after sunrise on the first day of the new year. We had it for supper and Barry cooked it to perfection. He had a slightly larger one on the hook first but it managed to escape as we dragged it through the waves, it leaped as it came out of a wave and it was gone, it's buddy was not so lucky. Yum!
