Position           39:45.00N 073:04.10W

Date                2359 Friday 16 September 2011

We sat out Thursday in Block Island whilst a weather system passed through which produced up to 30 knot winds from the south west, our intended direction which would have been most unpleasant.  It did mean that the proposed barbeque of steak was abandoned in the interest of not losing the grub overboard; there are times when indoor cooking like discretion is the better part of valour.  Notwithstanding that the steak was very good, even if I say so myself.

We sat out the day very pleasantly, reading and using our various computers, PC meets iPad.  The new wireless network kit, brought out from the UK and installed by me in Gloucester, accessing the internet through a router linked to an updated WiFi booster is a great step forward from the earlier single computer access and is working well.

Our starts having been getting more gentlemanly it was at the late hour of 0815 that we raised the anchor and headed out through the channel, there was more water than on our arrival, and the shore fishermen were in less danger of being run down by a passing yacht.

The wind having dropped and veered round to the north west and gave us a good start for the first 8 hours but then became light and headed us.  The bad news was that with the wind gradually dropping to 3 knots and heading us it was necessary to hoist the iron topsail, the good news was that it gave me a level playing field in the galley to produce a two day bolognaise; i.e. one that lasts two days not one that takes two days to cook.

Midnight saw us battling 3 knots of headwind motoring with a bright moon.  The forecast for tomorrow promises the wind filling in from the east – roll on!