Update 22nd June

Dandelion
Rick, Helen, Sue, John
Wed 22 Jun 2011 16:46
Well we’re up here at 46:38.0N 16:49.0W (about 600 miles west of Nantes) and its a lovely day.  Almost entirely blue and the sea has moderated to the extent that we had lunch in the cockpit – wraps followed by R’s fruit salad and two beers (between us).  The Wind Gods have clearly agreed, ‘enough already’, and pulled the lever back so for the first time in days we’ve got every scrap of canvass out and we’re making an not-exactly heart-racing (but steady, nice an’ steady) five-and-a-half to six knots directly towards The Lizard and home.  If this carries on we should be off Plymouth by late Sunday but there’s a fair bit of ‘weather’ around – so we’ll just see how we go.
We opened our ‘halfway-pack this morning (thanks, H) so we’re starting to count down now. I guess 500 miles will be sometime tonight and we’ll probably cross the Shelf on Friday. We’re looking forward to seeing a few ships – nothing since S dealt with the container-carrier on 18th (perhaps they’ve all heard how we are and are giving us a wide berth).
We’re a cultural set here. R’s got his Beethoven set plus a CD on appreciating fine art.  S has Trollope and I’ve got a new Sudoku book (plus I had HMS Pinafore on the IPod this morning).  R’s brought a thing which plays DVDs and has Master and Commander on it so we’re looking forward to a warm calm evening to watch that.
 
Still no wild life except the stormy petrels that continue to stay loyal.
 
More soon,
 
Love from three looking forward to a steak at the Plough Inn – Bere Ferrers.