Thanks to yesterday's Starlink connection we had downloaded an updated grib which showed we were at risk of hitting a large patch of low winds, 2-3 days out from Barbados. The further north of 13° North we tracked the less wind for longer periods we were likely to encounter. We therefore made a slight course change to take us south of west for the next day or so in the hope we can hold onto decent winds for longer.
The Starlink connection also enabled me to have a brief WhatsApp call with Sharon and say hello to her brother Martin over for Christmas from Dubia (to where they are currently expatriated from the USA) with his wife Robin and kids Kloe and Kaj. With all the rest of the family there, it sounds like Christmas at home will be very hectic and a lot of fun. Certainly a contrast with that to be enjoyed on board the good ship Bonny!
A negative consequence of waiting 4 hours for Starlink to connect yesterday plus the two hours we used it for, was the hammering our batteries took. From a charge level of 87% at the point we turned it on, the battery level dropped to 72% by the time it was switched off. This morning we were down to 50% and it's cloudy which means we're not replenishing them very much. As of 1130, they're only up to 54%!
We've agreed we will try setting the dish in a gimbal arrangement again next time we try and use Starlink. Last time we used one we gave up after an hour but maybe it might reduce the excessive 4 hour connection time experienced on the last two occasions we actually got a connection!
After the alarm pierced my ear plugs at 0120 local time I poked my head outside to converse with the Mate who informed me the wind was up to 20 knots and suggested that, given the boat was veering around all over the place, it might be time to reduce sail. This we did by the relatively simple means of furling the genoa until it was of equal size to the jib. That and some adjustments to the Hydrovane settled things down and we continued to make a good speed, averaging in excess of 6 knots.
Once Mick had retreated below I realised that the occasional flash I was noticing out of the corner of my eye was caused by lightning beyond the western horizon. Another sign that we were making progress towards the Carribean but slightly unnerving given we were heading straight for it. However, I reasoned that it must be a very long way off because I could never see the lightning itself.
I had a rude shock after a couple of hours on Watch in the cockpit, when a rogue wave slammed into the boat depositing dollops of the Atlantic Ocean over me. Fortunately, it was just a one-off and was not repeated.
The lightning flashes continued throughout the hours of darkness but remained beyond the horizon. When dawn broke we were still thundering along at 6 plus knots and occasionally surfing down waves at 9 knots! The rotating noise of the prop-shaft speeded up in response to the boat's increase in speed, thereby providing a useful, but slightly disconcerting clue as to the boat's speed.
At 0745 under cloudy skies we ran into our first serious rainfall of the passage which very probably is linked to the lightning over the then horizon, I had noticed earlier. For the first time we had to put the transparent washboard in and close the hatch! Fortunately, it's now Mick's Watch, not mine :)! It was however only a shower and we were through it in 15 minutes or so.
All in all, today was feeling more like our 2016 crossing on Arctic Smoke than any other day so far. With the increased wind, have come bigger waves, the bigger ones are now around 3 metres high. We have also started to reach the sort of speeds that Arctic Smoke achieved for large sections of the crossing especially the latter stages - consistently 6+ knots. However, it's far too late in the crossing for Bonny to make up for the time 'lost' earlier in the passage. Arctic Smoke's average speed of 5.5 knots and the 16 days it took her to cross from Mindelo to Martinique (100 nautical miles further than to Barbados) will not be challenged. Indeed, given the forecasted windless zone ahead, we may struggle to meet our ETA of 28/12 - which would take us 18 days!
Today we started consuming the product of the Mate's Mid Atlantic Bake off endeavours. Whilst on Watch overnight I ate it with Bread, butter and Romanian jam. After muesli late morning, I plastered it with butter and marmalade. Very enjoyable!
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