Saturday 7th July 73 North

Awelina of Sweden
James Collier
Sat 7 Jul 2012 12:24
74 08.20 N, 007 14.00 E
NB: these positions are for midday GMT, although I don't always manage to send the blog update at midday (there's a problem with mailasail's server I think - at least I get a lot of 'server not responding' messages if I try to synchronise email between 11am and 3pm, whereas it seems to go fine at other, presumably less busy, times).

As we get further north it has been getting colder and windier. We are now
strapped down to 2 reefs in the main and the staysail and are still
averaging 8 knots of boat speed. On a very close reach to a mostly westerly
force 7 wind. The wind is fine,at least the boat enjoys it, but it is rough. The size of the waves and their ability to sneak up under the boat and spin her about has been an experience[for Fe. As has looking out the spray hood
at 5 am this morning to realise the little bits of fluffy stuff floating
about under the mainsail were not old mattress content but were snowflakes.

Hatchway thermometer reads 5.2 centigrade this morning, less in the wind, so it really is not warm. However the sea temperature is quite high still,about 5 or 6 degrees, so we are probably not near any ice.

We hope from the grib files that this wind will reduce in the next
24 hours - reducing in part to a force 5 this evening to give us a chance to
check out the foredeck and other things forward of the mast. It would also
be really nice to be able to cook supper without one foot somewhere near the
ceiling. Extreme Pasta anyone ?

James' brother Eddy should by now have landed in Longyearbjen on Svalbard
(bet that was bumpy!) and we're hoping to see him sometime in the
next 48 or so hours depending on the ice forecasts in Isfjord and the
approach. We're also hoping that while he is waiting there he can check out
with the port authorities if we need to book a pontoon place or let them
know we might be there soon.

We saw the other yacht again last night,but it is out of sight now. No
doubt they are finding this as bouncy as we are. Message for Jon
Hudson - sorry we could not stick to transmit schedule yesterday at 5pm we had to
get some sail off the boat fast.