22:50.7N 22:11.48W

Day three - now about ½ way between Gran Canaria and Cape Verde Isles, heading West on stb gybe with a 2 reefed main and polled out, goosewinged  80% genoa.  Our autopilot is happy as the sail plan is balanced.  Some port quarter waves occasionally spoil our straight line.

We plan to gybe south at some point today to put us into the “butter melting” zone (the old navigational adage for this route is to  go south until the butter melts, then turn to starboard).  At 6am we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, 23 deg north.

In Las Palmas, we visited Christopher Columbus’s house in the Old Town.  On the wall was his 1503 route from Las Palmas to St. Lucia.  It is interesting to see us follow this same route so many years after those pioneers.

Our 2 hr on, 6 hrs off watch system is working well.  We awoke to a steady sea and lots of sunshine, ENE 20 kts true. Cereals for breakfast, and then perhaps eggs and bacon from our chef Tim. Barbara conscientiously been turning the eggs daily to keep them all in good condition. We need to eat eggs and lots of eggs, because we ordered 36 and received delivery of 72.  

Our diesel generator (Pagura), working perfectly on Tuesday, overheated the next day and automatically shut down. Yesterday we were able to fix it successfully, the problem traced by Mike L to a faulty water pump impellor.  Like many jobs on a boat where things are tucked into the tightest spaces, the skills of a contortionist are needed to gain access. All this on a boat rolling constantly +/- 20 degrees.

The Pagura uses 0.5lph per 1KW and the main boat engine about twice this so with the generator working we can now have those luxuries like daily fresh bread and more regular water making - meaning fresh water showers!

Yesterday, Tim used a 20 litre Solar Shower heated on deck containing sea water and used down below in the shower cubicle.  This worked a treat with no fresh water involved.  Barbara has also converted us to salt water washing up on deck and a fresh water plant spray for “showers” and alcohol gel for water free hand cleaning.

Going too fast to fish at 8 kts. Sun is out and will be putting on sun cream shortly. Eggs & Bacon for lunch with Ciabatta bread from bread maker.

Hello there my Dutchie Friends! Hierboven wordt alles al goed beschreven, dus ik heb weinig toe te voegen. Het is fantastisch, heerlijk hoe de dagen voorbij vliegen gevuld met alle kleine probleempjes die tot nu toe goed op te lossen zijn. Het weer is fantastisch, we vliegen vooruit met 7/8 knopen, dus met dit gemiddelde zouden we er over 12,5 dag al zijn! Er komt nog lichter weer, maar hebben is houden die mijlen!  De sfeer aan boord is ook super, we zijn lekker ingeslingerd en zitten in ‘t ritme van slapen en nachtshifts en overdag lekker relaxen / klussen / koken /chitchatten etc.

Later meer! Veel liefs,

Tim, Mike, Barbara & Mike