Spindrift ARC Log - Day 10
Austins' Travels
Chris & Lynn Austin
Wed 30 Nov 2011 14:38
It was a good day for progress as we have been running at 6-7 knots most of the time. The swell is 1.5-2.0 metres every 8-10 seconds which is not too big considering we are now in the middle of the Atlantic. We roll constantly but as we are now going in almost the same direction as the waves the rolling is a bit more comfortable but then every 30-60 seconds one of the waves varies to one side and we roll more violently.
Overnight last night we saw the lights of 4 yachts that we assume are all ARC yachts. We listen to a short wave radio 'net' where those yachts with SSB radios exchange position, weather information and chat about any subject of interest and from this we know that several yachts are within 50 miles of us.
The moon has now now made an appearance as a small crescent but provides a remarkable amount of light for its size. It is only up for a few hours before midnight but will soon be more full and last longer. Up till now we have been sailing in pitch black at night when it is just possible to distinguish the horizon as the sky is very slightly lighter than the sea. However, the stars a incredibly bright and the sky is filled with them. With no light pollution from other sources the sky looks very different.
Two freshly caught mahi mahi fish provided a delicious dinner.