We're making excellent time down the Venezuelan coast, thanks to a healthy current pushing us in the right direction. Yesterday, we logged an impressive 210 nautical miles in 24 hours – a new record for this trip!
For our non sailing readers, a quick sailing term explanation: sometimes, when winds get very strong, a technique called "running with bare poles" comes into play. This means removing all sails from the boat. Even without sails, the wind can catch the surface area of the mast, propelling the boat forward.
Our current situation is similar – no sails deployed. However, there's a key difference! Right now, there's no wind at all. Instead, our trusty twin Volvos and full fuel tanks are providing the power, taking advantage of the favorable current.
We've settled into a familiar rhythm with our watch routine. Three hours of sleep with only the sounds of waves lapping against the hull and the gentle hum of the engines is a welcome change from the blaring soca music and drunken revelry of Trinidad!
For the past month, the weather forecast has been taunting us with a giant orange blob (indicating strong winds, but not as strong as red) sitting right in our path. We're bracing ourselves for a few hundred miles of windy weather – in fact, our passage plan relies on it! But peering out at the horizon, it looks as though we might only have light wind (Green - stronger than blue).
We need at least two days of decent wind to keep us moving at our current rate. If the weather forecast is wrong, we'll have to resort to a fuel-saving strategy – running on one engine at a time and alternating every six hours, which will inevitably slow us down. We are the blue dot on the picture and you can see the orange we are heading towards.
Stay tuned for updates on our journey to Panama, and whether we face orange, green or blue weather forecast.
