Newsletter  6:   12 December 2007 

Day:                                                               4

Position:                                                       22:51.900N  24:53.207W 

Approx Miles from San Sebastion:              562 

Approx Miles to go to Road Town:              2256                                                                 

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

Hello Friends, and Supporters,

I guess if you have been following my emails, you may have guessed it was going to happen...capitulation...finally accepting that I am on Solone for two to three weeks, with nowhere to go, nobody to talk to and just ocean around....not even a moon at night either! Well it all happened last night, and I started today with a new sense of freedom, peace and joy about being out here. Yes, it happened as clear as that!  I have had this happen before, and its probably a well known human behavioural thing....longing for the comforts etc I had, rather than embracing the freedom and peace of being out  here....and then one day it all clicks into place.

I am sure there are other things that help the process, like a good night of no problems and just routine hourly wake ups, great sailing conditions, sensing the REAL tradewinds are right in my grasp now...etc. Doesn't really matter....all the maters is I started the day fired up about life, my adventure, and the tasks of the day ahead. Part of waking up like that means a whole lot of tasks get generated.....more below!

Progress has improved, with a better mileage day yesterday. I have this huge mental barrier to overcome.....  As you will see I am currently heading quite south, rather than taking the direct virtually westerly course to Road Town. The plan was to go to 20N 30W and then head west to Road Town. Well the wind conditions I have been in the past day have meant I would have had a 'perfect course' , and shortest distance, if I just filed the go south plan and head west. My weather files tell me that would be a bad move as I would not be far enough south to get REALLY into the tradewinds, and there would be potential calm patches ahead associated with the huge high pressure. Its been very tempting to take the short cut but discipline prevails, and after checking out the weather files I received this morning, I have decided that I don't need to go down to 20N before going west but 22N will be sufficient. So that's where IO am now going as fast as I can....22N.  On my present course that should be about 10pm tonight....then wooophee, turn west and I should have great sailing conditions...tighter reach angle so Solone should really enjoy it!  We all know about should haves, would haves and could haves!!!!!

With the probability of stronger winds ahead I decided to go up the mast again first thing today. Conditions were not ideal, with the boat doing 8 knots and rolling in the sea a bit. Well with capitulation behind me and a feeling of I can do anything now, I went ahead. Took me a while as I had to adjust the electrical connection which had come loose, but when I left the top of the mast, the light was working again. I even took a few photos from the point 'the furtherest point' I can go to from my bed for the next few weeks!  These conditions were still pleasant from what may have to be anticipated, but it still really takes it out of the fifty year old me!  I came back to terra firma (sort of!) with my legs shaking and arms feeling like they had a serious gym work out!

                                                                                                                                 View form the top of the mast

                                                                                                                                  The blue 'thing' is my knee!

I mentioned the moon above.... It's been really disappointing as there hasn't been one since I set off, and yesterday I saw the first sliver of a new moon for two hours in the early evening and then it set!  Roll on the black nights...!

In yesterday's newsletter I mentioned dealing with the boredom...... Well its a funny thing , not really boredom, just waiting for action, but not really knowing in what form it will appear!  When one thinks through the range of things that could happen the level of relaxation reduces further!  Yesterday for example, the autopilot JUST seized...for no reason other than I saw it had slightly unscrewed itself and as I tightened it back up it all  stopped working. A few hours later, with the help of the spare I then have the problem solved and all working again. Set to challenge one...!!  So actually I REALLY wish I was bored with ABSOLUTELY nothing to do but sun bath!  We know that's not true, as we all know we need a healthy level of stress to stay animated and motivated!  I feel like I am at that point now...hence the list of tasks for the day I produced.

One of the tasks was to clean the inside of the boat, as started looking very 'boy like'!  So, being the woman onboard, I called up STORM, instructing her to clean the place up...!  Well, being the new age 'chick' she is, she replied saying that's not why she is on the boat, and I must do it myself!  So that I did.... but I always knowing when it gets down to cleaning the boat on a long trip, its a good sign that one is feeling at home and relaxed....even the chore was therapeutic!. I'll get Storm back!

Another task was setting up a fishing line! My depth meter showed a depth of 2.8 metres last night...reminded me that there are fish out here, and big ones too, so maybe a 'one that didn't get away' story soon!

Also got BBC going, and listened to the news...two new bombings I see... Algiers and Beruit......oh for the peace of the world at sea! Listened to an interesting debate of Freedom of Speech!  I wish my girlfriend had listened too!

Ohh... An important milestone last night.... I crossed the Tropic of Cancer. Second time this year on my own steam.... One by yacht and one by bicycle!

I am told that I was right in the middle of  the rowing fleet, but haven't seen one yet. This Ocean is a big place!

Lastly, I feel excitement as I can almost see the REAL trade winds ahead...the winds that will take me to the Caribbean at good speeds I hope!

Till tomorrow.....hope it continues this good.....and you take care

Howard