N. Atlantic: Anchor Down - San Juan, PR

I Had an early lunch at "Mamacita's" on the small island of Culebra then left for the north coast of Puerto Rico.

The winds and swell are strong Northerly, so it was a rough ride up to the pass.

But once I got around the top of the NE corner of Puerto Rico, I could head more Westerly and along the swell.

The wind was NE 20 knots and was on the beam most of the way which causes some uncomfortable heeling.

I averaged 7.5 knots and an at anchor right in front of the "Sizzler steak house" which is known for the terrific salad bar. Photos: Mike in Culebra.




Mike Harker
S/V Wanderlust3

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

South Atlantic: Ascension Island

Jan 2, 2008 5 pm Ascension Island, South Atlantic

After getting 400 liters of diesel fuel at the military base on Ascension Island, I left after 4 hours for Antigua. Ascension was not really worth the stop! There is nothing here worth seeing, the facilities are terrible and the people are not even nice. And no working internet!

There are less than 1000 people here and over 90% are with the US or English military or their families. I do not recommend a stop for anything but fuel, and that is almost torture. You have to anchor way out and get down your own dingy, there are no ferry boats. The 'pier' is not protected from the swell and it was running 10 feet.

You have to time your landing with the up swell, grab a hanging rope and jump out of your dingy with the painter onto the piece of concrete slap. There are no taxis and the fuel station is 2 miles up in the hills. I have eight 20 liter jerry cans! I finally walked up into the 'Town' but it only has about a dozen buildings.

I was able to talk a young military guy with his pickup truck into taking me up to the fuel station. He was very nice and helpful, from Virginia! You can only imagine how difficult it was to get the 8 full jerry cans back into the dingy, with a 10 foot swell running, and that 3 different times!

Antigua is my next stop, about 3300 miles NNE. I am predicting about 3 weeks. I have to sail and motor cautiously because of the 3 temporary repairs I have done myself. The Yanmar engine has a leak in the salt water impeller pump I fixed with a screw and some 5200 sealant, the Balmar alternator had to be re-wired to by-pass the regulator, and the Fischer-Panda generator does not turn on power because I got some salt water on the mother board from the water leak.

When I cross the equator into the North Atlantic in 1000 miles, I expect to get into the "Doldrums", a band of weather 500 miles wide with NO WIND! I expect to motor sail. That is the reason I stopped inn Ascension, to fill up all my reserves of diesel fuel. It would be the only reason I would recommend stopping there to anyone else.

Mike Harker
s/v Wanderlust3