37:48.330N 25:53.056W
SV Eleonora
Michael A. Andronov
Sun 1 Jul 2018 15:57
We are en-route again…
So far — the destination is Falmouth, UK… ;-) But may be changed, as anything in life…
We clearing the most NW point of St. Miguel, point Ferraria… And the actual journey begins… — no protection from the wind, swell, etc…. Just into the Atlantic, beating for at least 2 for days….
We just starting to get consistent 20 kts of apparent wind, with some gusts… coming from the ~55 degrees on starboard tack…
We are running 1st reef main, a bit furled ( reefed ) yankee, and front sail…
Just started to get real swell, at the same angel as wind…
As we really clear the island — and I see the real swell — I’ll check if I can make better angle…
‘ Go to NW as close as you can… gaining North as much as you can… until the wind start to back…’ — the advice from Chril Parker was… Well, hope he would hear me on the radio tomorrow… Meantime we are in a washing machine…
“Be positive Micheal, be positive…”…. Well:
— we are doing ~8.5 kts over ground, with 6 ft swell against us… Good speed to start!
— we are moving NW, kind of back to the middle of the Atlantic… As far as I know — no land ahead… We can sleep at night… ( If I remember the training I got on route from Columbia…
— we have wine and beer…. Actually, irrelative, in such conditions — you are not going to enjoy it …
— the deck will be clean… Super clean… pretty soon…
— WE ARE SAILING… at the end, that what we were looking for…
That is a short message, just to say that the passage really started… In accordance with Jim Cornell’s book… Ponta Ferraria…. St, Miguel…
Everything is fine,
M.