Rain and Squalls all the way

We left at first light and were pleased to have the wind with us at last, as predicted. The clouds were heavy over the islands and we hit loads of squalls which pushes the wind speeds up and then disappears to nothing in the lee of the islands.

Sunrise over Wallilabou Bay, St Vincent (famous for filming the Pirates of the Caribbean), next bay along from our overnight at Rockside Cafe

We were doing great speeds, averaging 10 knots, the islands whizzed by. Rowan had contacted the agent we used last year in Dominica to see if we could get permission to anchor overnight without checking in. He said it was ok, but by the time we got there in the dark nearing 9pm, we were both feeling like we should just push through the night and get to Antigua in the morning, rather than late afternoon.

Grey and turbulent seas

Rowan hit 35 knots of wind speed in a squall leaving Dominica, I’m glad I was in bed, I somehow slept through it all! It didn’t last long and Rowan has mastered coming off the wind in the squalls making things so much more comfortable. It would have been quite hairy in the old boat, but in this boat you don’t feel the big winds nearly as much.