Lunch, Thursday 4.13.2006

Lunch today was Lecso, a traditional Hungarian dish of eggs, tomato and mushroom. Bori is a bit cranky because no paprika was available in Bermuda, so the dish lacked full authenticity. It is a tribute to the Maggie B’s sea kindliness that we could sit down all four and have a comfortable hot lunch in these conditions.

Location: 23° 40 N, 61° 40 W
Thursday 12:00, 04.13.2006

So much for easy trade wind sailing. The Schooner Maggie B’s noon position on 13 April was 23° 40 N, 61° 40 W. The wind has veered to 150-160 degrees and increased to 25 with gusts to 30. Rain squalls come and go. We are reefed down to two reefs on the main and one on the fore. Our course is about 230 and speed 8 knots. There are moderate swells from the SE and four foot waves on top. The sea is building.

Our expectation is that the low will pass north of us and the wind will veer further. The East side of Antigua bears about 195 at 365 miles. Our plans are to tack if the wind veers much past 195. Plan B is to make for Anguilla Passage between Anguilla and BVI, but that is about a day away.

The barometer has only fallen to 1014 from 1019 yesterday.

Lunch today was Lecso, a traditional Hungarian dish of eggs, tomato and mushroom. Bori is a bit cranky because no paprika was available in Bermuda, so the dish lacked full authenticity. It is a tribute to the Maggie B’s sea kindliness that we could sit down all four and have a comfortable hot lunch in these conditions.

Last night at five AM, the second watch (Paul and Bori) woke me because we had a meeting situation with a VLS (very large ship). We had right-of-way both for being a sailing ship as well as being at their 1 o’clock, with them being at our 9 o’clock (with steady bearing angle - gulp).

We were finally able to contact them (wake them?) when they were about one mile away. When the groggy voice announced “Yes I am seeing you, I will go to your left behind but maybe I am OK crossing you” we began to reach for the flare gun. Paul dogged it, heading up and luffing and they passed about 1/4 mile ahead.

Two Tropic Birds made repeated passes to attempt to alight on the main gaff peak, but it was just too well finished. Two flying fish came aboard in the night and were hooked up as bait, but without success. Probably next time we should better appreciate our place in the food chain and just fry them up for breakfast.

All is well.

How to Send Us Snailmail

As we are headed to Barbados, you can write us at this address, good thru Monday, 5 June, 2006:

Schooner Maggie B
Hold for Arrival
The Barbados Yacht Club
St. Michael
Barbados