s/v Moosetracks: Five Islands

We have a difficult sail back to Antigua. The forecast was not ideal with the wind at 90 degrees true it meant we would be hard on the wind all the way. Add the current and we knew we had to tack. Well we can do that, its a sailboat after all! We managed a good speed but lost out on direction with a 20+ mile cross track error, in other words we have to sail another 25 miles to get back on our intended route. We also had 2 breakages, first the double block on the main sheet traveler broke due to corrosion, then the head tape on the genoa broke due to UV damage. Thankfully we only had 18 miles to go when the head sail came down so we motor sailed in.

A great calm and gorgeous anchorage

with a few friends around as well

We get straight down to chores and fixing things. Liz cleans up the boat and washes Moosetracks down after a long passage. Devin replaces the main sheet and the double block. Then the repair on the sail begins, first we take off the old webbing tape. We don't think our sewing machine is up to the thick repair of webbing tape and sail cloth on the head area. So Devin sews it by hand with our new speedy stitcher, it take a few days as the sun is brutal up on the fore-deck.

Devin sewing on the fore-deck

Job done ready to hoist

With the sewing done, it was wait for a calm day to go up the mast. The bad news is the broken tape means the halyard is now at the top of the mast and you need to go and get it to pull the repaired sail back up. Chris from Never Bored comes over to help winch Devin up the mast. Sorry we missed pictures again. So here's one afterwards celebrating with a beer.

A well earned beer after hauling Devin up the mast

We had a wonderful Green Flash night whilst in Five Island, its hard to get on film but we hope you can see why we are transfixed when one looks like it might happen.

The horizon is clear so it could be a green flash night

A Green Flash moment - may a second later though?

Never Bored calls a dinghy drift so we all dinghy around and tie up to share appetizers and have our sun downers. Its a great social event and good to meet some new faces again.

Another get together

We look up one day and Out of Africa is coming in the bay. We have all been waiting for John and Jo to arrive so we can have a Braai on the beach. It doesn't take more than about 5 minutes and we have one organised, now that's enthusiastic cruisers for you.