13:55.204N 53:57.273W
Knotoncall
Thu 7 Dec 2017 20:08
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13:55.204N 53:57.273W Knot on Call Blog 7th December -
Day 19
The Day that time stood
still
Yes we've bitten the bullet, getting disorientated by
sun rise at 09:45 and having breakfast at mid day we've moved back 4 time zones
to GMT - 4 hours. By one watch doing a 4 hour spell instead of 3, the watches
carry on as before 6, 9, 12 etc. We are now on Caracas time according to my
watch, co-incidentally the same time as St Lucia. With just a little over 400
miles to go we are opening a book on ETA - pick your time. We are headed just
south of Guadeloupe, north of St. Lucia. The wind is forecast to increase and
back to ENE on Friday and Saturday so we are calculating that this will assist
us with the angle to destination. If this works we will have completed what for
most of us will probably be the longest single gybe in our lives. We have been
on the same course now on starboard tack for 2 days completing 350 miles. If we
lay StL in one go without gybing again that will total 765 miles! Oh as to
the ETA 07 - 08:00 GMT Sunday my best guess - place your bets.
Ghost ships - On our own in the
Atlantic, no ships for miles around, nothing on the chart AIS system, when in
the distance, white sails appear over the horizon. We picked them up on radar
but no ID. As we got closer the bearing remained the same, we were on starboard
, they on port, flying a spinnaker poled out and goosewinged. We called several
times on the radio - no reply and as we drew closer there seemed to be nobody on
deck and it wasn't an ARC boat. Although we were the right of way boat, we
altered course to pass astern. Nobody acknowledged us or appeared to wave to us
as it continued on its solitary way, presumably the crew was fast
asleep!
Beautiful sunrise - the cloud systems
are really beautiful out here especially at sunrise, see below.
Replenish supplies - Two and a half
weeks in we need to go to the forward hold whilst the sea is reasonably calm and
get more rations for the next 3 days. Biscuits, tins of meat, bolognaise sauce
for lasagna, tinned veg and Grahams all important Corn Flakes to keep him
smiling. Tonight we are having corned beef hash and beans. We also found a few
treats such as chocolate bourbons, mixed salted nuts and a packet of Wurthers
Originals!! We unearthed our final cache of bottled water 55 x 1.5 liter bottles
more than enough to finish the journey. We have stacks of water left in the
tanks for cooking and washing and may soon be able to have a hot shower
rather than the cold buckets of salt water currently in use.
Cheers - John
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