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16:52.000N
45:55.000W
The weather has been
very good today, with the trade winds holding at about 15/20 knots and bright
skies. As we creep further south, the temperature increases and the afternoons
have become very hot. We would like to see the winds back a little to
the north east in the next couple of days, to help us drop down to the 14
degree latitude of St Lucia, but generally speaking they couldn't be
better. We are driving the boat on at an impressive average speed of around
8 knots, and the magic 200 mile days are there or thereabouts. Great Escape is a
lovely boat for this kind of sailing, as she seems to fly down the waves with
the wind in her sails. She looks after us well!!
Fishing continues to
be a problem - we have lost another two large one's off the hook today. Think we
will have to review the fishing kit for another trip and have a new selection of
weights and lures. The lack of success has not weakened the enthusiasm, and we
are still trying - the prospect of a large tuna for supper is spurring us on,
but the image has to remain with other halucinations such as a large rum punch
and a bucket of ice cream for the time being!
One regular pastime
is looking at the clouds and making something out of the shapes - winnie the
pooh and jumbo jets are regulars, but early this morning we had a strange one as
the word MUM was clearly written in the sky!
Well, we are now past
the 1000 miles to go mark, and everyone on board is beginning to anticipate our
arrival in St Lucia. With about five days to go, we thought that it would be
good to introduce the crew to you in the next few messages, so here goes for the
3 - 6 watch this afternoon.
Lizzie and Andrew
have established a very good rapport, and Andrew's dry sense of humour
combined with Lizzie's Scandinavian wit, make this a most entertaining
watch. Andrew's enthusiasm for action and activity has made him the Mr Fixit of
the crew - a smile appears on his face when another job is found, and at other
times he resorts to making excellent apple crumbles to pass the time of day!
Lizzie is proof that there is more to Sweden than meatballs and IKEA - her
robust activity around the boat, but particularly in the galley when the boat is
lurching around has to be seen to be believed. This evening, amidst chaos when
things were being thrown around quite violently due to rough seas, she somehow
produced an excellent casserole complete with dauphinoise
potatoes.
All is well aboard
Great Escape - we have just recorded a 203 mile midnight run, and look good for
a 200+ noon run later today.
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