BOXING THE COMPASS
Aquila
Alan and Sarah Bennett
Wed 18 Jun 2008 14:08
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47:32.00N 21:47.50W
Noon-noon run: 134 miles
After yesterday's record, we think we are going to
have a tougher time of it over the next few days - it looks as though we are
going to have predominately easterly winds, and not much of them.
Yesterday evening, as forecast, the wind veered to the west, in anticipation of
a front passing over us around midnight. The chart indicated there would
be significant activity on the front, so we put two reefs in the main in
anticipation. Mistake. The wind died, the blast never came, but the
rain did. By daybreak it was blowing N3, giving us good sailing again, but
it had been a sloppy and frustrating night.
The met buffs will have noted that the wind has,
since Sunday, done a complete 360 circle - clockwise - around us. Have no
idea why it is called 'boxing the compass' - something to find out on
return. Little peace for the sail trimmers! And we believe none to
come. Ah well - that's sailing, as Ian pointed out.
There is no doubt that the leaking footpump lost us
an awful lot of water. We are still drawing on the port tank, but it will
not be long until it is empty. So that will be about 140 litres drawn from
the two tanks, that together hold 360 litres. Once we pump the port tank
dry, we will know exactly how much we have lost. But worry not
- we have another 200 litres in containers, and yesterday afternoon we
transferred the contents of two of these (25 litres each) to the starboard
tank.
 With another time zone shift, we are now on
GMT, one hour behind BST. The next shift will be just as we approach the
Scillies - so we are scenting home. We have now travelled over 3000 miles
since leaving our berth at Deale on the Chesapeake, and have about 675 to go -
more or less the distance we sailed from from Norfolk to Bermuda. Just a
walk in the park......
 Grey skies and rain again today - we are clearly
nearing England!
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