09 February 2000

Beowulf is secured for sea. Dinks are aboard and lashed down, deck awnings stowed (but cockpit awning left set), loose interior gear is stowed, the bottom and prop are inspected and found clean, and we set the heavy staysail.

1130 and we're headed offshore. As we round the reefs fronting the anchorage the wind has a distinct NNE bias - this will allow us to sail across the San Blas bight towards Cartagena, Columbia. We start out motorsailing with just the main set, but soon switch to working canvas, and are making 10.5 knots over the bottom and hardly feeling the seas.

2200 - It was too good to last! The seas have started to steepen as we approach Columbia. We've got a countercurrent helping us which is stacking up the waves. To slow the boat down so she is more comfortable we drop the main, reef the mizzen, and set the staysail. With this jib and jigger set up, and the engine turning over at minimum rpms we are doing 7 to 8 knots towards the coast, only occasionally thumping hard - but the steepness of the seas are really something, not to mention their confusion. We can see why this passage has such a bad reputation, for boats going down hill!