Tantalisingly close

Blanshard
Sun 13 Jun 2010 16:39
Position 39 59.10N 29 12.65W  Log reading 14657 distance covered 130 miles
 
Finally Horta is in sight.  It has been slow and frustrating progress directly upwind with  hardly enough wind to move us.  So, the options have been to use up the last of our remaining diesel and hope we have judged it right to leave enough to get onto the marina or to tack upwind in 5 knots of wind, sailing at 3 to 4 knots on each tack which moves us towards our destination at about 2 knots - slow!.  We have been alternating between the two really for the last 3 days while the wind has been so light but now we are making a run for it - fingers crossed, should be in by 9pm for supper ashore.
We have just witnessed a feeding frenzy by the porpoises again;  there were 10 to 20lb tuna leaping clear of the water with the porpoises hot on their tails, we didn't give their chances of survival much and so much for the shortage of porpoises - they seem to be all around us.
Al's navigation progressed well and he declared we had arrived a little while ago so we told him to step off onto the jetty .... maybe unfair as there have been so many course changes and varying speeds.  He claims to have sen 6 shooting stars, not sure what he found to drink?
Looking forward to shore leave and some fresh food and then on to Gibraltar
 
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