Update - normal winds resumed

Stargazer of Southampton
Susie and Adam (both think they are skipper)
Thu 31 May 2012 11:12
 
31.05:12, 33:11.18N 45:58.98W
 
Been a more relaxing day today, we have done a fair bit of sleeping after last nights fun.  Apparently 120 miles north of us it is still blowing 30 to 40 knots so glad we’re not there.
We are getting the swell from the stronger winds though, the sea is very lumpy which is making the boat lurch around, everything that can rattle or squeak has started to – the crockery cupboard and tins cupboard has had to be packed with stuff to stop the plates rattling – we used tea towels and things to start with, but we ran out of those between the various items that required packing, so we’ve moved onto using Adam’s socks and pants (clean ones of course!)
 
Had dolphins for company this afternoon, they seem to be small dolphins out here, I think they are Atlantic Spotted Dolphins – they are very energetic though and do lots of jumping out of waves  and they are incredibly fast.  I have decided that Dolphins like playing around yachts so long as there is someone to watch them.  I was sat up on the edge of the cockpit watching them for a good while – they were jumping and shooting about, I had to go inside for 5 mins to get my phone stuff for the weather call and when I came back out every single dolphin has vanished.  This has happened before – if you go and watch the dolphins then they seem to hang about, but if you go inside or out of sight then they will be gone within a couple of minutes.  Well that is my theory anyway.  Think it is different on big ships where they have a proper bow wave to surf and that keeps them entertained, I am not really sure how much surfing they can do on our bow wave although they give it a good go – especially today as we have been surfing down some of the big swell ourselves.  People say that Dolphins will never get hit by the boat, they can swim within inches of it and never touch it – not true, they have bumped into us before! – again – maybe container ships create a better pressure wave for them!
 
Birds seem to have gone for past couple of days, we’re still seeing the odd sailing jellyfish but not so many any more.