14. day on the Atlantic

Familien Svellingen på Seiltur
Tom og Christine Svellingen
Wed 19 May 2010 12:22
Position 35:53N 39:20W
 
Hurrah for 17 Mai!!!
Norwegian National Day was celebrated as it should sailing into a beautiful sunrise with 'perfect driving conditions' which also means kitchen conditions for Karen and preparation of the highpoint of the day:a special meal- fresh salad with spicy feta cheese(yes, we still have fresh produce),homemade potatoe salad, steaks provincial then vanilla pudding topped with blueberries and melted chocolate for desert after cheese/onion/bacon omletes for breakfast. Anyone leaving the table hungry it was their own fault. The dolphins even came twice as evening approached to help us celebrate-one of them doing that high high spinning jump then landing with a belly flop sending spray high into the air. Sometimes we swear they are puttin gon a show just for us. Who could ask for more as we are "sailing sailing over the bounding main" as the song goes.
 
Yesterday (may 18th) was Dolpin Day - suddenly they are visiting us regularly-three, four, five times a times today though they like to tease us-a couple of them show theirselves  for a couple minutes releasing the cry "DOLPHINS" from whoever sees them first getting everyone up on deck - then they disappear as soon as their audience is assembled. Troels challenged the cold water and took a bucket bath on deck in spite of it all. We others froze just looking at it.Since Raj is still "fishfree"  we had saltfish/bacalaou for dinner. It's been a rough rough day with the winds barely enough to fill the sails and the waves at cross purposes to it was rock and roll, up and down and  every which way but loose even with the motor trying to help give us drivecraft to even out the ride.  Fleksibility training is the word for today until the winds came up about 9pm and Maggy turned into a sailboat again and  she rushed through the starry starry night at 8-9 knots.
 
Horta is getting closer and closer. Ever since we crossed the 1000 miles again mark everyone is following the milage more - 666 yesterday on dolphn day, this morning(day 14) we are we're down to 555 as morning coffee and tea  are enjoyed in the not so quite rock and rolly cockpit and a couple dolphins have already wished us good morning.The wind has turned more northerly as the weather router predicted and thick sweaters are needed. There is a sail off our starbord quarter but since they are speaking french on the VHF radio they aren't Safari who we hope to see or at least talk to soon. Maybe they have some fish they can throw over. Not being a meat eater Moana is in 'abstinence' and dreaming about making Ceviche...she has a whole basket of lemons & limes just waiting to be used.