28:25N 59:50W
Boatannie
Thu 17 May 2012 20:27
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Another good day's run with 150 miles in 24 hrs, if
the log can be believed, although the charted positions seem to confirm the
claim.
Last night as it began to get dark we found
ourselves boxed in with ominous black and billowing clouds, so we put in a
second reef and furled the Genoa to about half. Luckily we skirted round most of
the squalls and still made good progress with speeds of between 5 - 6 knots
throughout the night.
We had trouble shaking out the 2nd reef this
morning as the ram's horn twists awkwardly against the mast and makes a devil of
a job to free the cringle. We are hammering along now with one reef in the main
and most of the Genoa set. It's been another beautiful day with 15-20 knots of
wind on the s/board bow. That is how it has been pretty much since we left
Antigua and we are beginning to wonder if the wind will shift when we need it to
from the NE so that we can make the Azores - that required course change
is still several days away.
Afternoons are generally a relaxing time on board;
we are all awake and engrossed in our books; Graham is stroking his beard to a
post war history of Europe, Bill is chuckling over his Don Quixote and I am
filling my head with the heroic deeds of Danish warrior kings thanks to Seamus
Heaney.We have all enjoyed "Everyman for Himself" by Beryl Bainbridge, which
seems only fair.
From time to time our reading is punctuated by
discourses about the evening meal and food in general. This afternoon our
special topic was fresh fruit trifle, still chilled from the fridge. If only we
had the fresh fruit and custard, never mind the fridge!
Bill is just about to serve an afternoon
refreshment of lime juice and fizzzy water fresh from the pit and very welcome
too and I have just heard we have company. A cargo vessel heading S and about
three miles off our port bow - the first thing we've seen in days!
Peter
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