We finally got a reprieve from the rain and had some nice wind on our way to Punta Coco. Amazingly, just the minute after we got the hook set it started raining again and rained all night. In the morning it had stopped again and we up-anchored for Isla Contadora. As we rounded Isla San Telmo onto the lee side of the Perlas Islands where there is no ocean swell, a nice light breeze turned just aft of our starboard beam, which made perfect conditions for the flying the spinnaker.
Having sat around in the rain for too many days in the immediate past, I was itching to do some nice spinnaker sailing. Rob’s thoughts (very valid thoughts I might add) were that if we put up the chute it’ll rain and then we’ll have 1200 square feet of wet sail inside along with everything else that’s still wet. I pondered that thought for about 3 minutes, then pulled the sail out of the aft cabin and rigged it up. Just as the sock that contains the sail rose to the top and the chute filled, the rain started (already knew that, didn’t you?).
Yup, he was right again. Fortunately I waited out the rain and the sun came out eventually and we had an awesome day sailing north in perfect conditions. Then as we rounded the north end of the Perlas and set a lay line for our anchorage the clouds started to threaten again. I knew I had about 10 minutes to decide whether there would be wet sail or dry sail in the boat, but it was just too good to put away and I opted for wet sail, hoping it would dry a second time.
That, of course, was not meant to be. After the rain started the wind completely died. So we socked the chute, motored into the anchorage, and put 1200 square feet of wet chute in the aft cabin.
