Atlantic Ocean between Trinidad and Grenada
11.07.207N
61.40.446W

We spent most of today preparing for a major crossing. We dug out our jacklines, harnesses and life jackets. We locked all of our cupboard doors, secured as best we could everything that doesn’t necessarily have a place. We took the outboard off the dinghy and put it in its cradle on the back arch and then hoisted and secured the dinghy. We unfurled the main sail just to make sure that it would, indeed, unfurl when needed. We checked our charts to confirm our heading with the various currents within the ocean and then tried to nap the remainder of the afternoon. Unfortunately, every time we would lay down, one or the other of us would remember something else and hop up and run do it. We never did get much rest.

At 3:00pm, as planned, we hoisted anchor and headed back the way we had come yesterday to Scotland Bay but today, continued on around through the Boca and out into the Ocean arriving about 4pm; perfect timing, we should arrive in Grenada at day break.

We had a 2 knot current squeezing us through the Boca and could see the waves where the current ran head long into the tides on the other side. In essence, we were being spit out into the ocean. What could have been an ugly couple of minutes were actually rather fun.

We had been counting on the standard 15-20kt trade winds out of the east but once we got out into the ocean, you guessed it!! The winds were directly on our nose. So we powered our way for the first couple of hours until we got out far enough to lose the land effects on the wind. Once the winds turned more to the east and filled in, we turned off the engine and tried to hoist the big white floppy things.

Remember I said that we had tested the main sail to make sure that it would indeed unfurl the way it was supposed to? Well, when we actually needed it, it jammed again. Dale had to climb up the mast to the boom and take one of my spatulas that we have dubbed the sail spatula, and coax it out. It only took a couple of minutes, but its not something we want to do after dark with the boat bobbing up and down. Once both the main and jib were unfurled we turned off the wind and raced the rest of the way to Grenada.

In fact, the conditions were about as perfect as you can get and still sail between the two islands. We had almost a full moon to the east of us. We could see some infrequent lightening to the west of us and all ships were far away from us with Rainbow Rider about a half mile behind us.

With all of these good things, what could possibly go wrong? Well, we arrived in Grenadian waters at 3:00 am and we usually don’t like going into a harbor after dark. The red and green buoys at the entrance to the harbor gave us something to aim for. However, just as the island comes abruptly out of the ocean, there is sometimes a current that runs parallel to it. Sure enough, there was a 2 knot current running directly across our path. The slower I tried to go in order to stall for sunlight, the farther west we were being taken away from our destination.

Dale heard me constantly tweaking the sails and finally gave up all thoughts of rest. We decided to just go for it before we lost the moonlight. I revved up the engine and powered through the current and into Prickly Bay via the chart plotter. Trust me, that was easier said than done. Dale grabbed our head sets and flood light and guided us in through all of the day buoys not already lit and any boat that was close to our path. Our angel is still firmly attached to our shoulders, as we were able to pick our way back into the bay to a protected spot where we dropped our anchor at 5 am and dropped ourselves into bed and blissful sleep moments later.

Rainbow Rider apparently held back until daylight and a couple of hours later anchored not too far from us.