ARC Europe - Leg 3: Ponta Delgado - Eastbourne

Gins.pt
Wed 16 Jun 2010 06:14
We were ready for the start on June 12 at noon. Everything was working except one electric winch for the main sheet
which we are using with a handle as on the smaller boats. The start was OK and we had variable wind along the island
of San Miguel. We started the motor from time to time to cross the lulls.. in the following 3 days we were sailing
about 30 hours, rest was motoring. The weather  situation is extremely unconfortable. We can choose between no wind
or stronger winds from NE where we want to sail. Sailing against the wind and waves for 1000 miles distance means at
least 1500 miles of way. We decided to use the motor and carefully calculated the fuel. We are cruising at 6 knots using
4.5 liters of fuel per hour. Somewhere on the way we need to sail for about 300 miles and this way we can reach Falmouth
Harbour on Cornwall (UK) We estimate to arrive there next Tuesday. After the customs and immigration formalities and
refuelling we shall continue 220 nm to the Sovereign Harbour Marina in Eastbourne near Brighton, where GIN'S will rest
till end of July.
The Azorean high offers some sunshine, but the nights are quite cold.  The crew is working well together. Klara has recovered
after  seasickness and is fully back on watches. We have dolphins visiting us every day and saw the water sprays of whales
a couple of hudred meters from the boat.
Yesterday evening I was enjoying the sunset as already many times on this voyage. But this was the first time that I saw the
GREEN FLASH. I heard people talking about it but hardly anyone has really seen it. In the moment when sun dissapeared in
the ocean ( the last red line on the horizont was gone) suddenly on the same spot appeared green light like a flash, shorter than
one second as high as half the sun  when touching the horizont. An impressive  view !!
I will try to inspire the crew to write a few lines for the blog today.