34:23.6N 54:32.0W

We had another excellent day’s run of 139 miles and are now, at about 9:00pm Neroli time, sailing at 7 knots on a beam reach, in a good northerly breeze and under a clear starry sky. We’ve been on this point of sailing for 48 hours and hope to maintain it for several more days. The wind has varied between 12 and 25 knots with moderate seas.

It’s delightful sailing, at a good speed and in exactly the right direction. The days are warm and sunny, and the nights cool but not cold. With no moon until the early hours, night watches are a wonderful opportunity for star gazing and listening to music. The sky becomes more familiar every night and Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter are becoming readily identified companions.

We spoke with Herb again today and, on his advice, will stay between 34 and 35 degrees north. The often reliable weather pattern for the North Atlantic seems to have been disrupted by higher water temperatures in the Caribbean. But the central high pressure region known as the Azores High does now seem to be forming. Our intention is to ride across the north of this area and to the south of the low pressure areas that bring the prevailing westerlies to northern Europe.

In this huge expanse of ocean it’s rare to see another vessel although we’re always keeping watch. So we were surprised and excited yesterday afternoon to see a ketch flying the Swedish ensign cross behind us only two hundred yards away. She was heading north towards an area where we know there are strong winds. We called them by radio to greet them but weren’t answered. We wished them safe sailing into the night.