Newsletter  5:   11 December 2007 

Day:                                                               3

Position:                                                       24:14.939N  22:40.918W 

Approx Miles from San Sebastion:              376 

Approx Miles to go to Road Town:              2442

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

Hello Friends, and Supporters,

Well another 24hrs of sailing behind me......wonder what you have done in those 24hrs??  I've 'JUST' been on Solone, working, eating and sleeping...ohh a bit of reading too! And all around me is just wide open Atlantic Ocean... I can feel the peace of being out here returning...a few more days yet!

Progress yesterday was still not where I wanted it to be, as I was hoping to be having 200mile plus days. Yesterday was another 150- ish. The issue really is that the wind is quite variable in strength, but coming virtually direct from behind where I want to go!  Sounds perfect, but those sailors of you will know that this is not the easiest point of sailing and definitely not the fastest. Solone is also not designed to sail well dead downwind, so I have to 'tack' downwind, which means I do much more distance, and I have to do a manouvre called a gybe every couple of hours. Anyway no complaints the miles are moving by, and i could be a rower averaging 70 miles a day for the fast ones, and 25 miles aday for the slow ones!!! 

I should be in the rower fleet already, so maybe see one or two..that would be fun! They do pose a hazard for me at night, as I can't see ethem and they can't see me with radar, and I sleep quite a bit!! I'll just rely on a good lookout each night.

WEll yesterday I decided to go up the mast to fix the navigation light. Well my planning let me down......halfway up I realised I hadn't swithed the light on in the cabin, so I would not be able to test it!!! Hmmm...I could have kicked myself as I had r'eminded myself to remind myself', but got caught up in the moment of deciding to climb the mast!  I had a new bulb, so decided to just try my best and iif it needs another trip up the mast I'll just have to pay for my mistake!  The moment of truth came at sunset when i switched the light on, and ....hey no light came on.....so disappointingly I'll be up again in the next day or so!!

I needed the navigation light last night as I had a ship bearing down quite close on me at about 1am in the morning. I had rigged up my emergency navigation lights and thought it a good idea I commisiion them for an hour while the ship passed. All went well, as I gybed out of her path and showed her my new green starboard light! The problem is that these run off torch battteries!!

Soon after that I had my next 'event'....the turning block for the mainsheet, attached at the mast base, parted ways and I spent the next hour making repairs....All good again!

Eating...well after mymast climb yesterday I was ravenous, and ended up eating all my potato salad in one day, plus, plus.....!  The hanging 'Jamon' is probably the best idea for solo sailing food I have come up with yet.....When I feel like some tasty protein, I just go up front with a sharp knife and slice a few delicious pieces straight off the bone...Not very sophisticated but real yummy, and convenient!!

Got greta news from Ruth yesterday, that she has 'decided to give herself a Christmas present and travel to Tortola on the 26th December to (hopefully) meet me. News like this definitely perks one up when 'you are out here on your own'!!

I am now going through the 'dealing with the boredom' phase. I know it all too well, and within a few days I'll be relaxed and accepted my situation!! The goal of sailing alone across the Altlantic is still the paramount driving force and keeps me focused everyday.

Otherwise all well...

Till tomorrow.....take care

Howard