Flying Fish Galore

Midwatch 1-13-14 7:24 AM EST

Tired this morning so I will be brief. Motor sailed to charge the batteries for some hours yesterday. Didn't use the generator because of squalls and rain. 

Mark caught a Mahi Mahi which we hope to have for lunch today. 

We set the main last night and sailed a reach through numerous squalls. Had to add a reef * to the main and reef and unreef the genoa * as squalls passed. 

Used the radar when a vessel came within 1.5 miles of us. 

Seeing lots of flying fish and have to clean the decks of them in the mornings now. 

Continuing on a reach* today. It looks like we will be motoring most of Tuesday because of a big calm and then the trades should resume after that. 

Current Position: 11:00 UTC 

16 degrees 31.307 N 

36 degrees 21.169 W 

Course 235 D True 

Speed 6 kts single reef main plus full genoa Close reach 

Partly sunny with numerous rain/wind squalls 

Straight line distance to Martinique 1,432 Nautical Miles.

Bob, Kim, Anna, Finn and Mark 

Genoa: A large jib, strongly overlapping the mainmast.

Reefing: To temporarily reduce the area of a sail exposed to the wind, usually to guard against adverse effects of strong wind or to slow the vessel.

Reaching: Sailing across the wind: from about 60° to about 160° off the wind. Reaching consists of "close reaching" (about 60° to 80°), "beam reaching" (about 90°) and "broad reaching" (about 120° to 160°).