Friday 29 November, 21.31.8N 26.43.0W

Alcedo
David Batten
Fri 29 Nov 2013 17:06
Friday.  We motor sailed on and off yesterday until about 22.15, when a lovely wind came up just aft of the beam.  This was the start of a fast sail with eventually 2 reefs in the main and the wind just forward of the beam, but still making our course.  Jane recorded the fastest speed at 11 knots and Venetia is now being known as "we need more sails up" Venetia, trying to beat her.  We are in the cruising division!

The morning has brought persistent rain, thank goodness everyone has oilskins with them and a very slate grey sky.  More wind and rain in the forecast and it will still be a couple of days  before we can get any where near the trade winds.   We are 204 miles from our first waypoint  and hoping to reach that by close of play tomorrow, so we can have a double celebration then with Venetia's birthday.  

Unanimous vote to put the clocks back one hour, so the skipper will do a one hour watch to keep the times right.  

Living at an angle and enjoying tomato soup for lunch in the tropics!  Complaints department is closed.

Just in the process of finishing blog when the saloon table decided it wanted to join the chart table.  Three of us were sitting up at it and David B was at the chart table.  Luckily, Greggie and Jane acted as buffers, preventing the table from crashing down on David B and Sally was able to help hold onto it.  Venetia made a great sacrifice to her watch by easing the main sheet and then came down to help screw it back in position again.  It should also be made clear that she did extra 2 hours on watch including the time change watch.  By the grace of good fortune, the only injury sustained was a bruised ankle (Janes), which she is bearing with great fortitude.

Still a long way to go and initially it looks as though it will be a beat for a few days until we can get south.

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