Solo
but not Alone! ![]()
Newsletter
3: 8 December
2007
Day:
1
Position: 27:12.174N
18:07.520W
Approx Miles from San
Sebastion: 2744
Approx Miles to go to Road
Town: 74
Note:
All times are GMT time, and will be for the whole trip.
Hello Friends, and Supporters,
Well 26hrs underway now, and the distance sailed from the figures
above show it all.... no wind until 8am this morning. It was a very frustrating
afternoon and evenning with the wind never getting above 5knots, most of the
time zero, and when it was blowing as Sod's law would have it, it was either
dead on the nose so I had to beat, or dead downwind, and I had to gybe
downwind...all at 1-3 knots of boatspeed. Lots of adjustments all the time, so
very little sleep, but not much productivity. But that's a part of sailing!
Weather was different to what I expected from the grib weather files.
Not the ideal start, but thats behind me now, and from 8am this morning I
have a 18-20knot North Easter, and we are going great guns. Solone has been
sailing at around 9 knots, surfing often at 12-13 knots, and a high for the day
of 14.5 knots.
I have had the first few problems already...the ones I was planning to
expect!! The first one was the failure of the split pin on the clevis ppin
that connects the boom to the gooseneck. I found the situation when the ppin was
almost 90% out and the boom had been twisting at the gooseneck and has caused
some minor structural damage. Should be ok.
Other problem is my new 'low powere usage' LED tricolour navigation lamp,
right on top of the mast! It stopped working last night...so I'll have to
go up there and see when things calm down. Fortunatelly no other shipping around
at the momement, and I don't expect much for days/weeks.
On the positive side...it was a wondereful sunset last night, and I had a
very special view of Mt Tieda, on Tenerife basking in the crimson light, almost
looking out of place rising out of the sea to its 3000+
metres.
So how I am I feeling so far:
Hmmm.....just accepting the new disrupted routines, lack of sleep, and
the feeling of constatntly being 'on duty'. I know in a few days this will all
become second nature, and I am trying to relax and just get into
it..
The reality of the huge distance ahead, and keeping up this routine is
sometiimes daunting, but once again, it will all settle down and as the miles
start clocking up, and warme water, and real trade winds are with
me.
I go throgh thoughts of "Why do I do this, and why on my own, etc.... but
then I recollect that its always like this at the begining of 'the journey', and
one needs the whole journey to gain the unique and valuable experience to have
the perspective. I then go back to the Ulysses factor stuff.... and it all
becomes clear...!
As far as food goes, I have just been snacking on the frsh stuff...fruit,
eggs, fresh bread, and ofcourse some of the Jamon!
Till tomorrow.....take care
Howard
