May 13 - Whoops, spoke too soon. Some time around 9:00 the next morning our autopilot stops working, and despite all of our troubleshooting we can’t fix it, so we continue on our way hand steering, which is hardly desirable for an almost 4,000 n.m. passage. Our wind instrument is also malfunctioning (showing what is probably the correct wind speed but wind direction that seems almost 180 degrees from what it actually is). We experienced this towards the end of our trip to… Read the Full Log Entry

May 11 - It’s finally our day to transit the Canal. We learned yesterday that we are to begin our transit in the afternoon, which means a two day transit (overnight in Lake Gatun) rather than a one day transit. The Canal requires four line handlers in addition to the vessel captain, so we hire two from our agent, which together with Tristan and Burt make four. The two young men arrive at Noon, and it turns out that one of them (Guttishort for Augustine)has graduated from Law… Read the Full Log Entry

April 14 - Breezy sunny day and the guys start to work through our trouble shooting and “repair” list. Burt determines that in fact he did orient the Tri-color correctly; the radar is tested for operability and it functions, but it must be removed to replace mounting bolts and to “re-engineer” plug providing electrical service and data. Steve Remsberg is still at the marina and in the afternoon he comes over to inspect and analyze rudder/autopilot problem with the guys. We… Read the Full Log Entry

April 1 - Engine hours at departure: 1657; generator hours at departure: 896. We were intending to leave the dock at my home in Punta Gorda at the end of the day on the 1st to catch one of the last high tides for the next two weeks high enough to get us through the shallows connecting channel between the PGI (Punta Gorda Isles) canal system and the Ponce harbor inlet, then hang out nearby in Charlotte Harbor overnight and start for Panama the next morning. That plan changed… Read the Full Log Entry

3/24 - Kryss, Tristan Hayman and I leave my Punta Gorda, Florida dock around 4:00 p.m. in light breezes and fair skies with the help of Dave and Betsy Jones.  We motor to the mouth of Charlotte Harbor and throw the hook out for dinner and the rest of the night.  Uneventful.

3/25 - We leave the anchorage around 9:00 a.m. under power for Ft. Meyers in light winds and moderate chop.  We have to maneuver in and around a number of sailboats seemingly on the same course… Read the Full Log Entry

4/19 - We (myself and crew of Tristan Hayman and Daniel Rich) leave Shelter Bay Marina at 10:30 a.m. with light winds and a partially cloudy sky.  We exit the breakwater without delay as a large ship had just entered in front of us and none was approaching after it.  Outside the breakwater we’re traveling at 2200 rpm at approx. 6.5 knts. at first with modest swells and no waves.  It’s rocky without the sails up but there isn’t enough wind… Read the Full Log Entry

9/19 - Left Curacao Marine at 8:45; bridge opened for us on request when we got there; and we’re on our course at about 9:00.  Seas are calm and wind is essentially non-existent, so we’re motoring at 2,000 rpm.  Began doing 6.2-3 knts., but found some counter current and down to 5.6-7 knts. along most of the coast of Curacao on our way to our first Way point midway between Curacao and Aruba.  It’ darn hot.  As it gets dark sea gets a little more lumpy, wind is too much on… Read the Full Log Entry

5/14 - Kind of funny.  I wake up and think it’s 7:00 a.m. so I wake the guys to get ready to leave, and it turns out that it’s 6:00 a.m., but truth be told, we needed all of the time between then and 9:00 a.m. when we finished fueling to be able to leave on time.  Take 47.5 gallons of fuel.  Wind and waves are pretty much as weather routing services predicted.  Wind 10-15knts, waves 4-6 ft.  Wind is moderate and very much behind us after we get away from Martinique.… Read the Full Log Entry

The First of the Windward Islands

4/15 - The open water portion of the trip from Roseau to Martinique is only 27 miles, but the passage is reported to be a rough one at almost all times because of the openness of the passage and the strength of the trades at this latitude.  I don’t know if it is actually the case of not, but I think we have been seeing the strength of the trades increase as we have traveled South, even though it is getting later in the year.  “Holy cannoli… Read the Full Log Entry

St. Martin to Dominica

3/14 - Arrived at Simpson Bay on the Dutch side of St. Martin right on schedule, circled the outer harbor a number of times getting ready to enter the inner harbor lagoon (taking in jack lines and putting out dock lines and fenders) - lots of large vessels, sail and power, on anchor in the outer harbor, and entered the inner harbor when the swing bridge over the entrance opened right on schedule.  Unlike some places we’ve been, bridge tender was spot on… Read the Full Log Entry