We had taken the angel down overnight and so at 6am this morning we
put her up again. Elemiah just flew along.
Around midday, the wind started increasing and so our angel came down
and we put up the staysail and the jib. We called the weather service
on the satellite phone. We were a bit horror struck by a forecast of
new low tracking across us which would have winds of 40 - 40 knots and
gusts of 50 knots. This possibility had not figured in any of the
previous forecasts. We thought about this and then rang them back for
a course. A different forecaster did not think it was going to be
that bad but after enquiring on our position and speed, suggested that
we go further south. So we are now on a course of about 120 degrees
true (ie south east) making for 38N. When we hit that parallel, we
will then turn east to a course of 90 degrees (due east). We will be
a bit below the latitude of Horta on the Azores and so later we will
have to turn back north. But at least we will be spared some high
winds. The conditions have already calmed from those at a lunchtime.
Lots of dolphins today. We also saw what we first thought was a whale
but we then decided it was a basking shark. It was very big with a
fin and didn't move. We saw a couple of ships.
We did some jobs: pumped the bilges, retied on the anchor with cable
ties (the bolt that should secure it does not seem to fit - another
small job for Horta). We stowed everything securely in case the wind
gets up in the night.
All early to bed.
Rosemary and Ian
|
