37:44.2N 40:40.7W

We covered only 76 miles in very light breezes. We’re trying to be patient as we await a wind that will take us the rest of the way in rather brisker style. But despite the calm there’s always plenty to do, and while perhaps we’re less physically tired (fewer sail changes, much easier movement of the boat) the need to maintain a 24-hour watch means that we’re always short of sleep.

We’re guessing that some readers may ask, “How do you spend the time – especially when conditions are calm?” To try to answer that, here is how yesterday went by, from midnight to midnight...

Each day is broken into nine 2-hour watches (4:00pm to 10:00am) and two 3-hour watches. There are some overlaps so that for each meal a team of two is responsible for prep and clean-up. The watches move forward one step each day. With time for transitions, five or six hours is a good sleep total. If sailing conditions aren’t conducive to sleeping (as was the case until three or four days ago) then catching up during the day becomes even more essential.

Paddy went on watch at midnight after an hour or two of sleep. He was succeeded at 2:00am by Charlie, and at 4:00am by Richard. It was light at the time of this hand-over and the Skipper resolved that after due consultation with Neroli’s Astronomer Royal (Paddy) our clock should be moved forward to two hours behind GMT (Horta is one hour behind).

In very light conditions a night watch is a quiet, contemplative experience with occasional adjustments to the autopilot and of course periodic scans of the horizon. Last night was unusual in that we saw the light of another vessel on a similar course – undoubtedly another boat heading for Horta. It’s probably one of the several we encountered in Bermuda and hear every evening on the short-wave radio as they – like us – call in for weather guidance.

At 6:00am Allan took over and Richard was able to get a couple of hours more sleep. Soon after 8:00am was breakfast, set out for people to take what and when they want. Usually one or two choose to sleep in, although the smell of bacon (an occasional treat) invariably produces a full house. Yesterday Allan produced a new dish: porridge with fresh grated ginger – excellent, and surprisingly mild.

By 10:00am or so those not on watch were either back in bed or setting about their various tasks, including washing clothes, servicing the engine and generator, cleaning filters in the fresh water system, fine-tuning the sail plan and running rigging, and checking and re-stowing food supplies – including the diminishing contents of the fridge.

With a couple of sail changes, including taking the spinnaker down in the very light air, lunchtime came around fast, especially as the one hour time change went into effect at 12 noon. (The fact that the Skipper’s watch was thereby abbreviated by an hour didn’t go unnoticed). We enjoyed freshly-baked granary bread with cheese, and a salad including the last lettuce, part of a decidedly weary red pepper, and an excellent avocado (bought rock-hard in Bermuda).

So the rhythm of Neroli’s day continued, with little or no “spare” time, until 5:30pm. That’s when all electrical and electronic systems in the boat are turned off so that Allan can make his daily weather check on the short-wave radio. Sometimes “propagation” of the signal (bouncing off the ionosphere) is excellent, sometimes very weak.

Today it was at least adequate and we got the guidance we expected – stay on our present course and expect the breeze to freshen and become more northerly late on Tuesday. Herb Hilgenberg, broadcasting from Canada and providing a reliable and invaluable service free of charge, devoted most of his time on this occasion to boats west of Bermuda, some of whom are dealing with very severe conditions.

We ate a good dinner of chicken stew with chilli from the freezer, with great sauté potatoes prepared by Allan. Paddy was on watch at 8:00pm, and with everything quiet and settled, we all sat together in the cockpit for a little while (a rare event: almost invariably at least two of the crew go to bed right after dinner, anticipating a watch within a few hours).

With a clear sky, this was a great opportunity for Paddy to deliver one of his Astronomy Master Classes. The constellation of Leo was right behind us. Mars is at the moment near Regulus, the brightest star in of Leo, but is strikingly changing its position each day as it moves along the ecliptic – easy to see why the planets are called the wanderers (you can see that I’ve been taking notes). (Note to those not sure what the ecliptic is: tomorrow’s blog will be another contribution from Paddy, talking about the pleasures of the night watch, with special reference to stargazing).

At 9:00pm Richard went below to complete one more task – a pleasant one – of sending a daily blog entry. Soon it was 10:00pm and time for his next watch. No nap today.