3rd Day
Ile Jeudi
Bob and Lin Griffiths
Sun 27 Jan 2013 14:59
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22:55.60N 19:38.22W
Sunday 27 January 2013 at 1200
Distance Run last 24 hrs 132 nm
Distance Run since start 370 nm
Distance to go 472 nm
We ran the engine for quite a long time yesterday
to charge batteries as we had been using the electric autopilot and there were
lots of clouds affecting the solar panels. As we started to feel more
comfortable to do 'normal' things we were able to leave the cockpit and deploy
the water generator and set up the wind vane steering. This improved both
the charging and the outflow and the net battery drain is much better. We
also had more sun yesterday pm so the solars were wacking it out as
well.
Yesterday afternoon was pleasant and we started to
enjoy the sailing again. We both enjoyed dinner as well.
We saw no ships throughout the day but the AIS told
us about one about 3am. This was a 93m ship on it's way to Las
Palmas. 'Viking Vanquish' called us up on the VHF radio when we
were about 1 mile apart to ask if all was OK. The skipper was Swedish
(actually he probably still is) and asked a lot of questions about our plans and
our past route. He wants to cross the Atlantic this year starting from
Sweden in October! It was great to hear a friendly voice in what seems the
middle of nowhere.
It is lookig more like 7-8 days now for the trip
rather than 6-7.
If you can contain your excitement here is a
picture of the trailing log taken during the sunny conditions in the
afternoon. The 30 metres of line is spinning because of a turbine tied to
the end and turning the alternator in the white case:-
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