DAY 7 – 10 December 2006, Sunday

Having got over the struggle with the wind over who was going to play with the genoa the day improved.  The wind went to Force 4 for the rest of the day, not fast, but it was sunny and comfortable.

My radio aerial was loose, the rope must have been caught round the radar reflector before, so I fixed it.  Too much brute force, so I left the clip up the shroud and took the rest down, manyana.

I finished the second book, listened to music and improved my tan.  My loaf was really impressive, having had 2 rises and the afternoon passed very pleasantly. 

I did manage to take DG out of the water to check he did not have anything round his propeller, he had caught some twine on the way to CV.  It was as close as I am going to get to motoring slowly ahead in the marina; which is when you are supposed to take him out according to the instructions.

I have one boat about 80 miles north of me and another about 20 miles south of me.  They are both about 10 miles further west than I am, but their conditions give me a good indication for mine.  I think I may have had a calmer day than them today.  The weather report was that it would be 15 to 20 knots Monday and then drop Tuesday and Wednesday/Thursday we would be swimming round the boat and asking for wind.  All those who will not be swimming round their boat please put your hands up now – I can see one hand, mine.  We shall have to see what the weather really brings.

I didn t hear what happened to the other boat with the rudder problems, it should get on the ARC site. 

The wind picked up at 11pm, there was lightning to my right and so I gybed onto Port tack and put a reef in.  When I checked at 1am I was 4 miles off track, I automatically gybed to starboard tack and it immediately got worse.  I went and got a torch, it doesn t help me think, but I can read the little note I have taped to the binnacle for early hours cloudy thought processes.  Basically it told me that starboard tack was of no use to me, so I gybed back and started to work it out.  The wind had gone so far ESE, even SE, that it was self-correcting and all I could do was wait and let it work it out.   It took 12 hours to bring the boat back onto course and I am waiting for it to go off the other way before gybing again.  It was a rough uncomfortable night and I kept moving round to get more comfortable.  I lost all track and ended up having to open the door to get out, but I never close the door; so that would be the cupboard then.

I was rather unimpressed with the weather last night and this morning, I like the nice stuff. The wind was not that strong but low force 5 with a big sea, and it was slapping across from the S.  I had every type of cloud except the mares tails, whatever that may mean.  I don t mind slowing down and I was even thinking about putting the motor on to top up the batteries, but I don t think I will need to today.

I think I must be past the shipping lane now, not another one for best part of a week.

I put the washing in the bucket, all this sloshing about must resemble a washing machine.  I got the clip down off the shroud and had to rethink where to put the aerial.  Obviously the best straight high structure is the mast; could I put the aerial up the other track; too much mechanism and ropes.  I put a block on one of the spare posts on the mast step and threaded the aerial through the saloon hatch and through the block and then hauled it up the mast with my spare rope.  It is not permanent because I need that rope for getting the dinghy up and down, but it will do for now.  The aerial has gone up as far as the deck light and I can now get BBC World Service.  I like to listen to the news now and again, it is so depressing it soon cheers me up; bit like a dose of Eastenders – my life looks so much better.  Hopefully it will improve reception for the other boats and weather info also, which I think was the initial purpose.

The sun is struggling to come out and hopefully the afternoon will pick up.

It is still 14/15 knots ESE and I am less than ½ mile off track so there is no point in changing tack, so I will have something to eat and start book 3.

100 miles since noon yesterday.