Newsletter  20:   26 December 2007 

Day:                                                               18

Position:                                                       18:47.028N  62:40.722W 

Approx Miles from San Sebastian:              2701

Approx Miles to go to Road Town:              117                                                              

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.

A Repeat of yesterday's Headline:

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!

And ......Thanks for all those who have already emailed in...its great to be in contact!  Others now don't be shy, only a few days left!

Hello Friends, and Supporters,

Emotions and tension running quite high at the moment....... A great days mileage yesterday, but it didn't all come easy!

Due to the wind and sea conditions, Christmas lunch was a bit of a rushed and less relaxed affair than I had hoped for....but still very memorable!  Wind has been gusting quite a bit and lots of cloud based squally, I think I am in a weather pattern affected by a low pressure just north. I'm probably right on the fringe of the two pressure system. There had been a sea building since yesterday afternoon, and now the swell are quite huge. Sometimes Solone sits on top of a crest waiting to surf down, and it feels like 'we' are 4 stories up in a building! This made for a very uncomfortable night with these swells on the aft quarter, really throwing the boat around. IT was extremely challenging for the autopilot, so to get some sleep I put a second reef in the mainsail for a while.

I am about 40 miles from my first real marker.... a light called Sombrero, marking an island, actually a rock which is 70 miles from Road Town. >From there I have about 55 miles of still open but swallowing see, before I then cross the Virgin Bank. This is a fault beneath the sea that is connected with the formation of the Virgin Islands, and the depth drops from 1-2 thousand metres to 30-50 metres in a distanced of less than a mile! Inside this bank is the more tricky navigation stuff, and the paradise of the Virgin Isles.

Emotions.... well yes there are all over the place, as I try not think about finishing because I haven't yet. I noticed I have become more conservative in sail changes and pushing the boat....don't want to lose it now. Then there is this strange feeling of not wanting to get back into 'everyday' life and the demands that go with that.... even in the BVI! Then there is Ruth...she is on a plane from Switzerland and gets in at 6pm tonight....I won't make that, but hopefully by not miss it by much!  I was thinking about sleep too.... I am not desperately waiting to have a full nights sleep, which I guess means my body is in a routine that it is ok with. 

Its a bit hectic on deck at the moment, and I think it best  send this now and you will get a full download of my mind once I am safely on anchor.

I estimate being in early hours of the 27th Dec GMT.

 Howard

THE GOOD NEWS.......  (Repeat of yesterday) 

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!