Keith and Emily on EmilyLuna, on the other hand, are less keen on motoring - particularly given their temporary prop shaft repair - and the favourable current was attractive to them together with the coastal wind. Also they are are going to Grenada and then Aruba which are much farther south than Antigua. So they have taken the coastal route and we wait to exchange notes on their latest position.

Yesterday we started off with wind from the south east and this picked up enough for us to motorsail. In the afternoon it backed to the north east and allowed us to sail properly. After supper Annie was on watch and the wind began to rise. We put a reef in the genoa, the mainsail already having three reefs and all seemed well. By midnight it was my turn on watch and the wind was rising further - past 18kts. It took us a while to get the boat settled on the Hydrovane and I had to help with the main rudder. At this point the wind was gusting to 30kts and it was beginning to rain heavily. We put more reef in the genoa - this was by now just a tiny scrap of sail - but it was enough to balance the mainsail and for the Hydrovane to cope on its own. As a result I was able to retire below to dry off, change my tee shirt, put my foul weather jacket on and make a coffee. By 0500 the squall was past but the wind had gone around to the west so I dropped the mainsail, gybed the genoa and started motor sailing. So much for the hoped for NE trade wind!

This morning our briefing from Des was for light easterly wind, going NE tonight which might be a precursor to the trade wind. We would have 100% cloud cover with “hotspots” (squalls) to watch out for. By this time my main worry was the amount of fuel we had left. As of this morning enough for 72 hours of motoring. We were in touch with Jon in the Uk and put in place a strategy to minimise motoring during the day, try and sail as much as possible with a preference for speed over direction but keeping to the north as much as possible. By this time there was a gentle easterly breeze so I put the mainsail up and we were able to sail in the right direction. However, it was a lovely sunny morning, little cloud cover - just some thin high cirrus clouds and cumulus cloud around the horizon. As the morning progressed the wind rose to 10kts from the NE and we were able to sail our course at 5kts! Still lovely and sunny - dare we hope for the longed for trade wind? Colin was also in touch an advised that the app Windy was showing us leaving the ITCZ. Fingers crossed!

As the day has progressed the wind has backed to the north and eased. We have been sailing too far to the west for comfort. This means that if the wind is a Doldrums anomaly or the Doldrums push north again we will be back within its clutches. Every time the wind gauge indicates NNW, even for a moment, my heart sinks because none of the forecasts has shown northerly trade wind and certainly nothing with a westerly component. The cloud is building also and some large showers are developing. So, it is mid afternoon. Do we sit tight and hope for the forecast north easterly wind? If the wind backs further to the west do we tack and try and head further north?

I’ll let you know the outcome tomorrow.