North Atlantic: Antigua to St. Barts

Just at sunset I left English Harbor and sailed along the east coast of Antigua towards St. Barts. I should arrive mid morning.

I will meet with Richard Spindler (Publisher Latitude 38 Magazine) and stay one night in Gustava.

I got my impeller pump replaced but could NOT fix the F-P generator nor do I have a reserve alternator. Hunter sent a reserve alternator on Thursday 'overnight' but it will not arrive until Sat and they don't deliver until Monday.

I left without a replacement alternator and hope my provisional repair and re-wire holds until I get into Miami. I have only the Balmar alternator on the Yanmar engine to charge batteries, but I am confident in my own repair and trust it will hold.

I will keep a running log each day.

Mike
S/V Wanderlust 3
BOTY

Antigua: English Harbor - Anchor Down!

With 35 - 40 knots of wind, rain and lightning all around for 5 hours, I could not see land within 10 miles of Antigua.

5 miles from English Harbor, the sky turned blue and the sun came out! What a terrible welcome, storm and lightning windward of the French Islands of Martinique and Guadalupe.

I don't get along with the French anyway and a little storm and lightning won't change my appraisal of the French. All the better to be welcomed by sunshine and happy people.

The entrance to English Harbor was so dangerous that I went around the corner to Falmouth Harbor where all the 'Super-Yachts' park.

I will go back to English Harbor after the storm.


Tomorrow the Yanmar mechanic comes aboard with new parts and I will have internet to send out some photos.

Mike Harker
WanderLust 3
Hunter 49 BOTY

Atlantic: Crossing the Equator

00* 00' S/N Latitude, the Equator. This afternoon at 30* 00' W Longitude, I crossed the equator.

That ends 10 months of Southern Hemisphere cruising.

I originally crossed from N to S near Ecuador in South America. I then sailed in the South Pacific, Tasman Sea, Coral Sea, Timor Sea, Southern Indian Ocean, South Africa and finally the South Atlantic.

I am now back in the North Atlantic Ocean from where I started, March 15, in the Miami.

My next waypoint is 2200 miles in the Caribbean Sea, Antigua. I have sailed to Antigua 3 different times.

When I anchor in English Harbor again, I will have crossed my own route on the world map for my own personal circumnavigation!

That was half with the Hunter 46, 'WanderLust 2", and this half with the new Hunter 49, 'WanderLust 3'.

When I get the H-49 back to Miami in 3 weeks, We will both celebrate our "Around-the-Globe" circumnavigation!

I am making good time despite the fact that I am sailing and motoring VERY cautiously so as not to damage my provisional repairs.

In just under one week I made the 1100 mile voyage from Ascension to my waypoint on the equator, which keeps my yearly average above 1000 miles a sailing week.

6 - knots average speed
x 24 - hours in a day = (144 miles)
x 7 - days in a week = (1008 miles)

I have been averaging over 7 knots a week = (168 x 7 = 1176 miles)

I once averaged 1398 miles in a week = 200 miles a day!

The wind is a constant 8 - 12 knots from SE. I am sailing at 300 degrees NW, so that is exactly 'downwind'.

I have been sailing with the Parasailor for 4 straight days and nights, only adjusting to wind direction once or twice a day.

I expect -0- wind for a few hundred miles when I get into the "Doldrums".

They lie around 3 - 6 degrees N latitude, so I will run the engine and the main sail at second reef to keep the boat from rolling so much.

As a celebration when I crossed the equator, I showered on the stern step, then shaved my beard and head with the electric razor trimmer at position #1.

It will all grow back in a couple of weeks.

My schedule looks good. 2200 miles to Antigua puts me there 24 Jan, St Barts 28 Jan. 1200 miles to Miami puts me in Miami Feb 9 or 10. The boat show starts Feb 12.

Mike Harker
WanderLust 3
Hunter 49
www.H-TV.com