Newsletter  10:   16 December 2007 

Day:                                                               8

Position:                                                       21:13.000N  35:07.377W 

Approx Miles from San Sebastian:              1214 

Approx Miles to go to Road Town:              1604                                                                 

Note:  All times are GMT time, and will be for the whole trip.

            Miles are Nautical Miles, where 1 mile = 1.8 km

            Ohh, for those non-nautically orientated, a 'knot', among other things,  is 1 nautical mile per hour

            If it seems all funny units...its not, there is a very good basis: 1 nautical mile is equal to one minute of latitude on the earth's surface.

Hello Friends, and Supporters,

Firstly sorry for the 'lost' Blog newsletter No 6, I only discovered yesterday that it had been rejected by the Blog provider. Pity, because it was a fun one and put yesterday's restaurant comments into context! Just goes to show sailors are not good publishers! I have now posted it up on the Blog for 14 December, so maybe you will still be able to read it! At least I know there are people reading it, as my grapevine said there were a few 'worried' people wondering if something had happened to me! Thanks for your concern, I REALLY do appreciate it.

Here is a picture that relates to the story in the !4th Dec Newsletter....so check it out!

Well how every day brings new information, new challenges, reflection time on the decisions made and where to from here.......

After writing yesterday's midday blog, weather conditions just perfect with 15-18 knots wind 100 degrees off the bow, and a slight but building sea. I did think that this is exactly the sort of conditions I was expecting when I made the decision to turn early at 22 degrees north vs 20. The wind even picked up and I steered the boat for three hours in lovely 'driving' conditions with some good surfing speeds. I really did think I was now in the REAL trades, and even as a symbolic welcome, I had a huge flying fish spring out of the water some 50 metres from Solone take to the air perpendicular to the boat, and then realise it had to go over it. or hit the hull!  Well it smacked into the sail some 3 metres above the boom, glancing off back into the sea. I wondered if I had just witnessed a new altitude record for flying fish!

By 7 pm things were still going great with 55 miles covered in the 7 hrs, although the wind had reduced a bit with the setting sun. Well by 10pm, after dealing with a ship that came pretty close (had seen one for days), the wind had virtually died completely again. The little there was from direct east, ie dead astern and I had a frustrating night of gybing back and forth with 5 or less knots of wind. Some of you know what this is about, but being on my own dealing with the decision of taking the best of two bad options is not something my personality enjoys!!  REAL character building stuff! The real cruisers would have just started the engine and motored through it...well as 'we' know, the engine is not an option for this trip...Maybe I am a weirdo?

Come 8am and still no improvement I had to start being honest with myself and ask..."Am I still too far North, and just skirting in and out of the Tradewind zone?" Review of the weather files, and the past 24hrs and I had to start accepting I was too far north still! Accepting that took an hour or so, as it means I will be slower than I would have liked, and also I know had probably a day ahead of me of southing to 'just' get to the trade winds proper....most of which was not taking me much closer to Road Town. Anyway that decision is now behind me and I am now on a course of 210 degrees magnetic heading for 'sub 20 degree north latitude, and hopefully consistent wind...like yesterday afternoon but all day! I guess some lessons learned here, and realising that the grib files provide a single view per day not a 24hr view. On file the grib files still make it look acceptable for me to be where I am...reality is something else. I have almost put to bed the disappointment of having to turn south again, and KNOW its the right one. The slow days to here and, this 'detour' will push my Expected Time of Arrival in Road Town to the 18 to 20 day trip length. Where does that put me on my original objective performance scale! Hmmm.... was it the wind or was it me.... A bit of both I'd say, and that's being honest!!

With regard to the ship I passed last night.... Yesterday Ruth sent me a story from the Rowers' website, where the Canadian singlehander, was almost run down by a ship after switching off his radar alarm because it was bleeping for a ship that had just passed. Well it was now bleeping for the ship just about to mow him down, but he couldn't hear the alarm that was now switched off! I dealt with the same issue last night, its a solo person's problem:  Once I get an alarm that wakes you for one ship, I go up on deck and stay there until I see the ship safely past AND the radar alarm goes off as the ship is no longer in range. Assuming its the only ship could be a fatal error as this rower almost found out.

As far as, life onboard is going...other than the windless patches its just ABSOLUTELY wonderful being out here. I have really got into a bit of a routine here...probably eating too much, and yes I wouldn't mind a bit of aerobic exercise.  I've had a few more cloud squalls...tried to wash in one today...it was this huge cloud approaching with this wide, and perfect  'Rainbow conduit'  to the sea. Alas it missed me, so I settled for another sea water bucket shower!

All good with Solone. I did a major engine clean and oil check yesterday. Just to make sure!

Spanish lessons continue.....due to the sailing conditions they were conducted on deck, on the weather rail yesterday.

Right its back to real focus on the sailing so more tomorrow.

A picture from yesterday's glorious sailing:

Have a good Sunday, wherever you are!

Howard