Thursday, November 8th

Brisk southwesterly winds place Cutter Loose on a spirited, rhumb line beam reach to our destination in Tortola. Despite the deep reefs in the mainsail and genoa, this is a bouncy ride with an abundance of sea water spraying the foredeck and dodger.  Cutter Loose is up to the task as she plows powerfully through the swells.

At 3 PM, the announcement "fish on" can be heard throughout the boat.  Pete, our in-house angler (aka Dolphin Boy), rises enthusiastically to the task.  Our catch today is a brilliant yellow-green mahi-mahi.  Unlike yesterday, this fish is on the quarterdeck instantly, put to rest by a generous spray of Old Grand Dad into the gills. The fillets are cleaned and placed in the fridge for future reference.

Winds clock to the west, then northwest.  But the swell today is from the west which creates confused seas and a rocky ride.  Cutter Loose has the ocean to herself today.  Not a single vessel appears on the radar screen all day.

Today we celebrate  "over the hump", the midpoint of our passage to Tortola.  As an exception to our dry boat policy and to reward our collective accomplishment, each crew member is allotted one alcoholic beverage of their choice with dinner.