Trucking Along

We got our 30kts yesterday alright, right up the bum and Sunflower was moving out screaming down the coast of Cuba in the shipping lanes with her 2 headsails set. We arrived at Cabo San Antonio the SW Cape at 1600 perfect timing really as with the currents there and all that wind was quite messy and in went 3 reefs in the main with staysail and a tiny bit of Genoa and we were screaming on a broad reach south. Just before midnight enough was enough crossing through a shipping channel with the waves on our beam touching 9 knots quite regularly it was time to slow down, the cabin was a mess from stuff being thrown around everywhere by the odd wave that smacked the side like a freight train so with the 3 reefs and just the staysail we were a lot more comfortable doing 5.5-6knts with no stress
It's been a wild ride but today it has eased off a bit but with some rain around and even managed to have a shower so things are smelling a lot better aboard the fine ship Sunflower with 200nm to get to Belize...Happy days

Back on the road again!!

I landed back in Key Largo on the 19th of December after doing 6 weeks work back in Aus which was great, a well needed top up anyway. We wanted to get going ASAP so the rush was on and we had 100 things to do and after my first day back we had the bottom clean, headsail up, filled with diesel and beers and we were pretty much good to go. Our good friends Dale and Sandy who's Dock we were alongside were staying at there apartment in Palm Beach so we went to say our farewells to them and stopped in a couple of shops in Miami and Fort Lauderdale on the way. We have committed to a full refit in Guatemala so we had to collect the 1000's of $ worth of paints and epoxies for the job and also find Julie her birthday present, a new stand up paddle board!! We had a great night out in Palm beach in a classic American bar with Dale and Sandy which was really great fun and on the way home picking up all the gear which pretty well filled the big Lexus four wheel drive!! We got it all back
to our dock laid it out, boxes and boxes of paint and all the rest of the gear including the new addition to the Sunflower Dinghy family......a fold up dinghy that sails. She's a beauty although I haven't had the time to even test her out yet!! We were also waiting for a new SIM card for the iridium that was delayed in the mail so we decided to have it redirected to Key West and then we stop in Marathon for Xmas with some sailing friends which turned out to be a really fun day. Boxing Day we sailed to Key west and hung out for a couple of days still waiting for the package and toying with the idea of staying there for New Years. It's apparently a mental place to be but the weather forecast looked reasonable for the passage to Belize and not so good for hanging around so we decided to go and will spend New Years at sea but be in tropical paradise hopefully a few Days After!!
Tonight we will be of the NW coast of Cuba and we have a Norther coming, first one for the year. Apparently bringing cold winds 25-30knts but all behind us so should push us along nicely and should last less than a day. Last night we had good sailing with the 2 headsails out and then the wind died and we are motoring and will for most of the day looking at the forecast but then should have wind for the rest of the trip with any luck.

Merry Xmas to all ourFriends and Family!!!