DAY 9

Gaviota
Sun 11 Jan 2009 13:07
30:55.050N 48:28.858W
At 1000 local time (1300 gmt)  distance run in last 24 hours 134 miles
I thought it was going to be another disasters days sail .. but given the fact that we are dropping rapidly into a building high pressure zone ... not too bad! We started off at dawn with very little wind shifting all over the place.. so I decided to gybe on the belief as the low passed it would settle down from north of west (previously it had been south west) ... Which I did and half way through changing stufff around the clouds turned into heavy rain and stayed that way for over an hour .. then just light drizzle which eventually became hazy sun (funny high pressure!!!)... So everything now soggy and no chance to dry ugh AND the cabin temperature now around the 22 mark (day time) so I retired below as often as possible (ie 90% of the rest of the day!) and did grotty things like emailing APS and my 7 OKL developer!  .. Where was I ... oh yes changing tacks ... so now everything is leaning the other way (well a bit cos theres very little wind) but all my favourite spots for wedging things have now dissappeared and Iv got to find new ones!  ....  All of which meant I was on starboard tack for 1345 miles!!!
Back to sailing .. wind settled down to a light 10 to 12 knots  very steady - so just set her up and left her to it .. But did celebrate the distance and tack with ... a pot of tea .. (sorry Nish)...and ...eggs and beans on toast for lunch ... the highlight of the day!!!!!
Came dark so early I decided it must be time to move the clocks forward an hour ....  and then guess what the moon came out .. seems like a long time no see!  also seems like an awful lot of sailing to get to that first time change .. hopefully the next is a lot quicker .... and does anyone know the time in the Azores relative to GMT? ... should have looked it up before I left but too much else to do in the time, to catch that initial weather window.