Day 13: STT -> Azores - Life at 20 degree inclination

Blue Note
Marco M.
Fri 10 May 2013 14:10
Date: Friday 10/05/13 - Time: 12:00 Blue Note Time - 10:00 EDT - 14:00 UTC
Position 30:33.43N 43:25.8W
COG 66T SOG 6.0kt, Wind 0T 17 kt, Barometer 1014.8 stable
Temperatures: Air 18.5C, Sea 15.9C
Last 24h Sailed Distance: 116 NM
Last 24h Decrease Distance on rhumb line: 110 NM
Sailed distance since departure: 1518 NM
Time since departure: 13d 1h 00m
Average Speed since departure: 4.85 kt
Average VMG since departure: 4.38 kt
Intention: sail to Horta
Distance to End on rhumb line: 874 NM
ETA: Sunday May 19, 2013
Diesel consumption:
- 48 gallon left
- 58% diesel burned with 61% of passage done, ratio = 1.06
- 103 hours left motoring
- 410 range left on motoring
- Ratio of Distance_to_End/Range_on_Engine = 2.12

We are continuing our close hauled course towards the Azores.
The boat handles it very well and keeps a speed around 5.5-6.5 kts,
however while heeling at 20 degree inclination every thing becomes more complicated.
Cooking is an art of balance and strength, and eating as well. Nevertheless that did not prevented us from making
a good piatto of pasta for lunch and polenta and salami for dinner.
Sleeping is actually pretty comfortable while on close hauled, you are tack by gravity between the leeward side of the boat and the berth.
I personally found it more comfortable than when running with the wind, when sometime the boat roll side to side.

Yesterday we had few moments of low wind, below 8 kts, and we turned the engine on for a couple of hours and used the
more steady boat for taking a refreshing shower.
As many people can testify, there is nothing more reinvigorating than a nice shower while sailing.

While in the "middle of the Atlantic", yesterday following the tradition set last year by Yael on Passepartout we drooped a bottle with a note with our coordinates and email address.
It will be very interesting to see if anyone will ever found it and email us.

The fishing report is again disappointing. After blaming the Frenchmen for many days without fish we start to suspect that the lure might be degraded.
We had a couple of lost fish that after setting the reel into "zzzz" mode, got away.
During the many hours and fish of service the lure (squid type) has lost some of its' tentacles and we think that the fish might bight above the hook.
So, today we replaced it with a new one and we shall see.

We still indicates Horta as our intended destination, but more and more it looks like we might have to skip it and go for Sao Miguel directly.