28 June
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Elemiah's Atlantic Adventure
Ian Cole and Rosemary Bointon
Fri 4 Jul 2008 14:31
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