We were 17 miles east of the island at the time. Based on the first 20 days, it didn’t look like we had a hope of arriving before Monday but Neptune really took our “Longest Passage Ever” post to heart and we logged our two best days back to back. By the time we sighted Barbados it was looking like we would not only make it on Sunday, day 24, but we would make it just before sunset. It was the fastest, roughest day of the passage for sure. We had 30 knots behind us most of the day and night, and the swell had built up considerably. The average was probably 4 meters, but we would get a 6 or 7 chucked at us from time to time just to keep things exciting. Nothing like surfing down the face of a twenty footer at 12 knots to dispense with the need for caffeine. Apparently it had the opposite effect on Jaime, who decided that these were the perfect conditions for a nap.

Believe it or not we logged 158 miles yesterday using main only, no headsail. I was nervous about the southern point in these conditions but fortunately that turned out to be unwarranted. The wind held and as we adjusted our heading to wrap around the southern coast and started to creep up the beam. Soon it was at 120 degrees, the magic number which allows us to put the headsail in play. The swell got smaller and smaller as we moved further behind the protection of the island. By 4:00PM we had “sailors dream” conditions; 20 knots of wind just aft of the beam with no swell. We were light in the water since we had already burned up 23 days worth of victuals, water, diesel and the like. All this is to say that we hauled prodigious ass around the south western coastline. Jaime and I were both outside with stupid grins enjoying the best two hours of sailing we’ve had since encountering similar conditions leaving Tonga a few years ago. Slappy brought us screaming home in style and
with this last spurt actually beat the sunset. We came skidding around the corner, doused and packed the sails, tidied things up a little and made for shore.

At exactly 6:00PM we approached the “Careenage” on the northern end of Carlisle Bay and heard shouts from shore. “Ahoy Slapdash!” were the Canadian accented words being carried over the water. There on shore shouting and waving were Jaime’s Dad Ken and his wife Pam. They were waving us down into the harbour now and shouting “berth four on your left”. So we trundled further into the narrow little harbour and watched Pam and Ken run along the sea wall. True to their word, half way up and on the left we found a vacant spot on the seawall underneath of a little number 4 and at the feet of two people that had travelled all the way here from Squamish B.C. to catch our lines, save me from spending my first night here in the clinker, and bring us burgers. Yep, burgers.

A few minutes later we had our lines squared away, were clinking plastic champagne glasses, and scarfing down the best tasting burgers imaginable. Jaime and I were a bit shell shocked to say the least. The roars and whoosh of traffic replaced the roar and whoosh of wind and wave. We weren’t moving. Barbadians walked along the seawall and said things like “welcome to Barbados”. Pam and Ken were sitting in our freaking settee!

After 24 days of nothing but this boat, each other, water, wind and wave this was all alot to take in. Happily the burgers and spicy potato wedges were a lot to take in too, so I did the honourable thing and finished Jaime and Pam’s wedges.

Tale of the tape:

• We sailed 2800 nautical miles in 24 days from Las Palmas to Barbados (average 116.6 miles/day)
• We used 40 gallons of diesel (average 70 miles to the gallon)
• 60 gallons of fresh water (1.25 gallons per person per day)
• 20 pounds of LPG
• We played a role in the assisted suicide of 28 flying fish and 1 squid
• Made and consumed 36 servings of soup
• Flicked 200 trivia cards overboard
• Jaime puked once
• Listened to 3 audio books (Treasure Island, World War Z, Robopocalypse)
• 192 watch cycles (96 each)
• Sighted 4 vessels; three commercial one sail (average 1 sighting each 48 watch cycles )

So there you have it. Today I’m off to face the music. Pam and Ken are here right now, they’ve suspiciously offered to babysit Slapdash. I’m beginning to suspect a set-up. Pam is the only person that’s had personal contact with the officials, assuring me that I won’t be arrested when I turn up with an expired passport. Now they’re here offering to take care of the boat?

Things that make you go hmmm…