Newsletter  17:   23 December 2007 

Day:                                                               15

Position:                                                       18:46.696N  54:53.063W 

Approx Miles from San Sebastian:              2282 

Approx Miles to go to Road Town:              536                                                              

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.

I have GREAT NEWS for YOU and Me at the bottom of this newsletter, so either go there now (not recommended!) or make sure you read 'the whole' newsletter TODAY!

Hello Friends, and Supporters,

Progress wise, not a bad day yesterday ...its better than the 148 miles looks! Sorry its always more complicated isn't it.....cycling you just read the distance on the map and 'That's it, no questions, debates etc! 

So why is it better than it looks:  Well firstly 'we' sailed about 162 miles across the 'ground', but once again because of the wind direction being directly in the 'rumb line' to Road Town, so 'we' had to zig zag again. More importantly, you will see that 'we' have made quite a lot of southing in the last 24 hours. With the zig-zagging I do get an option as to whether I choose to be more on the 'zig' or the 'zag'! Looking at the weather files it looks like the wind will start getting more north in it  as I approach land. (vs almost pure easterly currently). So my strategy is to spend more time on the south heading 'zig' so that when I hit this ore northerly stuff I'll have a fantastic wind angle (no zig zagging required) and 'we' will be ringing up the miles!  Heard it before hey?..... Well I have had to make a choice and this one makes sense.

By the way, I thought I have never given you the specifics of the end goal, Road Town, Tortola Island:  Its basically 18 degrees 25.1844 N, 64 degrees 36.8658 W.

The conditions are just perfect from 'pleasant sailing' point of view! Even the most unlikely sailor would enjoy this..... calmish, purple blue sea, virtually cloudless sky, boat not heeling much and just the sound of the bow wave streaming past the hull! I have been meaning to mention that the sun is very harsh at these latitudes, I have really noticed it and one can't spend too much time out on deck before feeling roasted. Come the sunset the wind plays with my mind as it threatens to desert me, but after an hour or so of playing with me, fills in again and confirms it will be another night like the last. The moon is out virtually the whole night now, and it almost full moon, all helps as I passed through the longest night of the year!  I have got used to the long nights now, but one does get spoilt sailing in the high latitude summers when daylight hours are just so long.

I had a radar alarm just on sunrise today, and had some 'entertainment' as spent the next hour watching this Gearbulk ship approach and pass maybe a mile off the stern. I thought of contacting them on the radio, but my philosophy is rather stay quiet as there isn't much other than pleasantries to exchange, and after all they are a commercial ship and I am a wanderer on my yacht, with little really in common!  I did wave at the bridge......but the big glass windows didn't do anything back!

Well, I have resigned myself to the fact that I won't be having a cold beer on land for Christmas..... yes I know it was obvious a few days back but I do have this hopeful, and magic will deliver, streak in me! So I have been thinking of what Restaurant Solone will offer on 'The Big Day'? Well more to come, but I did find a Canarian memento bottle of 'El Heirro Vino Seco' on board, and that will go into my little fridge on the 24th! The rest of the day's meal will unfold to you over the next day or so..... The big question I bet you would like to ask...or maybe take a even odds bet on.... Jamon will feature???

I have been busy today, and as a warm-up for Christmas day, made a Salad Patata Atlantico. More about that in the Christmas day preparations, but most of it was about trying out the perfect ratio of Mid Atlantic sea water, and freshwater mix that gives the perfect boiled potato for the salad. The other testing today is secret as it would give clues to the Christmas menu!

Turning to the 'Mechanic' reference in this newsletter's headline.... I haven't mentioned much about how I have been 'hurting inside' with my self inflicted problem of losing a backup autopilot. I didn't give details, but essentially when I was doing what I was doing a wave hit the boat and two connected parts parted ways spewing minute ball bearing all over the place! I wasn't expecting the ball bearings and then thinking of finding them all and then patiently trying to replace them appeared during that DARK time to be a task on the 'EXTREMELY Difficult', if not Impossible list. Each day I have been thinking on ways to fix it, and / or how I will cope without an autopilot. Hmmm...part of feeling Confident and Good 'out here' is knowing inside you that you can deal with whatever comes up. Well in the early part of this trip I spent quite a bit of time each day thinking through 'What if's?' ...a valuable exercise as invariably one comes up with a solution that while not 'nice', is still a solution and ensures the item moves off the 'Worry  list'.  However the loss of all autopilots does not have a palatable solution, in fact although I know somehow I would manage it would be a nightmare of the highest order. I remember seeing the remains of a solo racing yacht in the Azores...the autopilot had failed days earlier and the sailor had driven himself to sleep deprived fatigue, running the boat.while asleep up onto the rocks.  So...long story..... but basically I have not liked living with the idea of having no spare autopilot, and yesterday I came up with a brainwave (I think!) solution to fix the 'spewed ball bearing' autopilot. I have spent the past 3 hours implementing my plan, had a successful 'non operational' test before I started this newsletter to you, and later this afternoon will put it to the 'real test'! Hold thumbs for me!!

I phone the SA rowers today, and had a good chat with Peter. They are some 80 miles ahead of the second boat, albeit on the shortcut route. They seemed in higher spirits than last time I spoke to them. I sensed that they have now Fully Capitulated, accepting their situation, and now looking for the positives ahead. They did emphasize the boredom and mundan-ness  of their 'one and a half hour on, one and a half our off, 24 hours a day ' routine.  Hmmm... I  admire what they are setting out to achieve, but I am also glad I am sailing to the Caribbean!

THE GOOD NEWS.......  

Well, yes I also thought about YOU the committed supporter and interested blog reader... how can I provide a further value add service?? Well, a mermaid came on deck yesterday and gave me a spare satphone email address! I asked for other things but she insisted she was from the Mid Atlantic Technology department, and the company policy is not to provide fringe, non-core services, no matter what the circumstances! 

So for the duration of my trip you can email me on howardsolone {CHANGE TO AT} mailasail {DOT} com, and it will not interfere with my weather line, and I will attempt to answer all those who use the facility. Knowing me and what its like here in the middle of the ocean, then putting myself in your shoes (difficult I know!) I thought you may want to ask a question regarding something 'stupid' that I haven't touched on in the blogs? So feel free ask me anything you want, nothing is a stupid question ok! I was once asked 'Where I anchor every night to sleep? So that sets the expectation!!  Oh, and yes maybe, with Christmas approaching  I am also getting a bit lonely out hereI! 

On that subject I have been very lucky that Ruth wrapped me a gift everyday, so I have a surprise to open each day.... well most days!  Lucky boy!

Enjoy what's left of your Sunday, and I hope I hear from you!

Howard