Departed Cayenne at 1800 and at 2330 we made Devils Island. We rounded the southern tip of Isle Royale and anchored in 5 m of water with a rocky shore only 50 m behind us. Bullets of wind and a very uncomfortable swell into the anchorage. Fitful sleep in the cockpit.
Miserable Devil’s Island
A splendid lunch – French bread, pate and superb cheeses. Gorgeous downwind sailing – very mellow, says Dave.
Mid-afternoon a very black line approached us from astern. I dropped the pole, tucked a reef in the main, closed the hatches, slipped into my new designer swimmers and waited. It was not all it made out to be – heavy rain and 30 knots of wind for about 10 minutes. Then wallow wallow, slat slat. Unreefing the main I noticed that 3 feet of track has bulged off the mast about 4 feet below the cap. Very depressing, given that Martin had spent so much time in Pto Montt re-rivetting. I wonder whether the boom brake has been too tight, but really, that shouldn’t pull the track. The fixings are 30 years old and I suppose it is just age.