As we approach the last few days of our trip, the weather is making us work for our mileage. The various forecasts disagree about what we should be getting, but so far none is accurate. It is very hot and sultry - any activity ends with me dripping in sweat. The sails have been going up and down many times as reef in preparation for squalls that sometimes arrive and sometimes don't.
Typically, we can be ghosting along with the prevailing gentle easterlies making 4-5 knots. They gradually fade to nothing leaving the boat slopping about going very slowly. Genoa comes in, main centered and engine on. Some time later a cloud appear to out south east - often very big and grey. We watch its appraoch trying - with remarkably little success to guage its path. We put 2 reefs in the main before the wind increases - simultaneously unrolling the genoa and turning off the engine. We get a period of decent sailing ranging from a few minutes to several hours. The wind gradually moves back to the east and dies - and so it repeats.
Otherwise all good on Tintin. 330 miles to St Lucia. We looking at an morning finish on Sat.