Location: Yacht Club do Natal
Monday 09:30, 06.26.2006

The Schooner Maggie B anchored off the Yacht Club do Natal at 0930 on June 26, 19 days out of Barbados. The trip log is at 2408 NM, for an average of 127 miles a day, though not always in the direct line. It seems as if we were close hauled on port tack for 99.7% of the time.

The last bit into the Potengi River without a motor was quite difficult. The wind was light, 5-8 knots, getting lighter and more variable, and the current out was about a knot and a half. This was all complicated by the construction in mid stream of a new bridge, making the currents and room to tack rather reduced. We had to anchor in the middle of things for a bit to wait for a bit more breeze, which was also complicated by failure of the windlass. But quick thinking by Max had us “nipping” the chain and pulling it back, length by length to the electric winch, when a bit of a favorable breeze came up. It took us almost an hour to go the mile from the mouth of the breakwater to the Yacht Club.

Once anchored, we were told that we were too far out in the stream and had to tuck in further. As we were launching the Reepicheep, a small Brazilian fishing boat capsized nearby. We rowed over and dragged them in to the beach. Then we rowed our #2 anchor up into the requested position and winched our way out of the way. Then lunch and now we are off to deal with the fabled Brazilian Bureaucracy.

All is well.