Day 3

Saturday 18 November 12:01 to Sunday 19 November 12:00

I have decided that as I am giving noon positions then the days should start at noon, hence Thursday/Friday noon was Day 1,  Friday/Saturday noon was Day 2, so this is Day 3.

I have taken some pictures, sorry, but the good news is that I will not be putting these on the site – yet.  I have not seen another living thing yet, so they are all boat, sea or sky, with a little bit of land as I left Gomera behind.

After I sent my last update the wind picked up to about 14/15 knots, so I went to 90 degrees to the wind and have both sails out I am doing 5 to 6 knots instead of 3 to 4.  My GPS tells me when I am within 99 hours of arrival to my waypoint which is about 100 miles north of Cape Verdes, even at 5 knots I am not on the board yet.   I have touched 7+ knots a few times, 7.7 twice when I was looking.  Ok so I was surfing, it still gets me there quicker.  This has the added advantage that the water generator is having a great time creating lots of lovely electricity and I have been able to charge up the computer without having to turn the engine on.  I thought I would have a quick look on the chart plotter to see how I was doing electronically and the inverter immediately started to squeak, so I turned it off before it blew the fuse.  The chart plotter shows the same as the paper chart, but it is nice to see it.

Lunchtime, today it is pancakes – 2 x sugar and lemon ones for main course and 2 with chocolate soya dessert – I also have vanilla soya dessert.  These do not need to be kept in the fridge and have a long use by date.

The wind did not hold out and was E 10/11 for the rest of the day.

21:00 had to bring the main in and take the genoa down to the spreaders and went onto 120 degrees off the wind, the wind went NE.  I am trying to stay close to 202 degrees True, bearing in mind that the current will take me west and without going too close to the African coast, 200 miles should be about right. 

Midnight I saw lights, this was an event.  I was fairly sure it was a big boat going away from me, but I still put the radar on just to check. 

I am now only doing a log at 4 hourly intervasl, because nothing much changes.

I tried to cheat by doing the 4am log at 3:40 as it would only make a mile difference and I could go and lie down.  However, that 30 minutes on the radar cost me in power usage and I decided to put the motor on for half an hour to compensate;  I put the computer on charge again for a bit, so much for a lie down. 

At 6:30 I put the engine on for another 30 minutes, the lights are a bit of a drain.  I had a cup of tea and a cereal bar and steered because the motor was overpowering the hydrovane; and it did mean that I could have a lovely hot shower.

8am let  the genoa out fully and put the boat onto 150 degrees off the wind, port tack, which is generally E/NE 10/11.

I can get BBC World Service on the radio, but this is only news and related programmes and it is so depressing/boring, I m rather glad I am out here away from it all.

I made a small loaf and some jam tarts, not an altogether easy experience as I do not have a stable platform to work on.  It  feels like an achievement to sit in my comfy chair in the cockpit with half a loaf, hot out of the oven, a cup of earl grey and two jam tarts.  I am clean and the boat is tidy and I think I deserved those 5 pieces of chocolate and the liquorice.  Just think what I could achieve this afternoon.