After 19 days at sea we finally arrived in St Lucia.  Everyone was in good spirits and happy to be on land again.

Initially we sailed with the jib and the main sail, gjibing back and forth before switching to the Code O about halfway through.  After the change we were able to sail deeper downwind and on a more direct course to Rodney Bay, hence the straighter line on the tracker.

The crew of Sea Rose was in high spirits on start day.  After spending two weeks in Las Palmas readying and provisioning Sea Rose, we were more than anxious to start our 2700 mile journey.

The town of Las Palmas came down to the marina to send the fleet off for the start of the 30th ARC.

At the start line Sea Rose gets off to a fast start.

With the competition (other catamarans) following behind.

 

No they’re not sinking, it’s our friends from ‘The Lazy’Linda behind a swell at the start line.

The boats in the racing class just blew right by us….and everyone else.

 

On the start day the skies finally cleared to give us a picturesque sunset.

In the morning, Glen tended to our first repair/adjustment of the reef lines

The start was initially a bit rough and Teresa suffered a casualty.  Her fruit bowl she’d bought earlier in Portugal didn’t fair well after it was tossed across the boat from a big wave. A somber moment.

A moment of silence and a proper burial at sea.

On a happier moment, fresh fish was readily available.  Would anyone like Mahi Mahi for dinner?

Larry lands a second Mahi.  They were the perfect meal size catches

A happier Teresa enjoying her fresh Mahi dinner at sea.

Teresa in command of the helm during her shift.

Bob supervising Teresa during her shift, making sure she doesn’t ‘hit’ anything.

When there’s no wind, the only thing to do is go swimming in 15,000 feet of water in the middle of the Atlantic.

Swimming can be exhausting, time for a nap.

Another one of our 18 sunsets at sea.

Bob and Teresa celebrating crossing the half way point.  Only 1,350 more miles and 9 days to go.  It’s all downhill from here.

We burned out our impeller on the generator.  Capt. Dave trying to repair it.

Teresa on watch duty.  Another day and another shift

Sailing wing and wing.  Jib pulled out on port side and Code O flying on starboard side.

Here is one of our nemesis, a squall  The further south we sailed the more frequent the squalls were.  During the day you could spot them on the horizon, but during the nights it was a different story.  The wind speeds could double in a few seconds and if we had the wrong sails up they could get shredded.

Always connected.  Teresa browsing the internet in the middle of the Atlantic ocean during her watch.

Did someone say Land Ho!

Land Ho!  After 19 days we see land for the first time, St Lucia is in sight.

Sea Rose on the final leg to the finish line.

The crew of Sea Rose is just as happy as the day they left Las Palmas 19 days ago.

Crossing the finish line.

We made it.  Sea Rose is now headed for her slip in Rodney Bay ahead.

After 3 months we finally took down the “all weather enclosures” and installed the sun shades.  The sun shades will be in place for the foreseeable future as we sail around the Caribbean in 2016.

Sea Rose Adventures is now on Holiday break.  Sea Rose is taking a one month break and as we returned to the USA for the Christmas and New year Holidays.  We will return toward the end of January 2016 for more adventures.