Picked up a new crew member at the Aruba party – Hanna\’s first time on the Grateful Red is a three-overnight sail from Aruba to Santa Marta, Columbia. But the Scotty, Jack, Matt, and Ken crew has done more than a few overnights on the Grateful Red. A few paperwork issues along the way combined with a diesel tank leak and repair keeps the sailing interesting!
Les Voiles de St. Barth Regatta is a big time, well at least lots of really big racing yachts and…the Grateful Red. Wendell, Matt, Lilly, Ken and Kristine had the Grateful Red in racing form – around the island a couple of times, a couple of off-shore races and pretty light winds made a great regatta topped off by a well-attended Grateful Red blender bash!
Another 300 mile sail to Las Palmas. Safi is the port where it was proved that one could sail from Africa to South America in boat built solely of reeds and materials found in Africa. The current from Safi to the Caribbean is two knots – essentially one can and has floated from Safi, Africa to the Caribbean When the Grateful Red started the winds were less than ten knots, a milk man dead down run and ….. now filled with diesel ….. use of the engine got us on the way. By the end of day one we had the main reefed in and in Las Palmas in two days of sailing. Next sail was the ocean crossing – Las Palmas to St. Lucia. Gordie, Paul and Kristine did some island touring with ken and matt trying to resolve instrument issues for the crossing.
See you on the Water
