36:17.0N 040:10.7W Midday (BST) Fix 28 May 2010 Zen Dog

Oboe D'Amore's Web Diary
Nigel Backwith
Fri 28 May 2010 12:14
Midday 28 May 2010 (BST/GMT+1) Fix for Oboe D’Amore – Transatlantic W to E
2010

View our progress on Google Earth at: http://blog.mailasail.com/oboe


GPS Position: 36:17.0N 040:10.7W

Sea Miles (previous 24 Hours): 168nMs

Sea Miles to date: 2,407nMs

Present Course Over Ground: 074°M

Present Boat Speed 7.0kts

Average Boat Speed (previous 24 hours): 7.0kts

Average Boat Speed to date: 6.2kts

Estimated GPS Position in 24 hours time: 36°:30'N 037°:30'W

Sea State: Moderate with 4m swell

Wind Speed and Direction: 18 kts SW

Barometric Pressure 1001mB (4 point drop in 4 hours yesterday signalling the
winds that surely came)


No speed records broken, as the overnight wind and driving rain abated
sometime around 0200 hours Friday morning, bringing the boat speed down
below the 8+ kts needed for a two hundred miler. So for now we are gently
surfing the remaining rollers under partly cloudy skies and the crew is
warming up with nice hot showers ahead of their day time naps.

However, there is another opportunity for speed and an adrenaline-fuelled
roller coaster ride just round the corner. This time, with winds are
expected to peak at 35 kts. This Force 8 gale with accompanying rain is due
to kick in this afternoon and last 18 hours before spitting us out into
sunshine and calm seas at dawn on Sunday morning, less than 300 nMs west of
Horta, Azores. So perhaps we'll be safely tucked up in the marina bar with a
beer or two Monday night. Failing that, we'll drop anchor off Horta, fall
asleep, put our watches forward 1 hour and motor in at dawn for a typically
Portuguese breakfast of bacon, egg, tomatoes and fried bread washed down by
a pint of lager!

Wendy our erstwhile crew member as far as Bermuda remains with us in spirit
if not in body, with regular, encouraging email contact. Thanks Wendy for
your moral support and for sending us a thought-provoking mini poem that,
with your permission, we shall adopt as Oboe's motto:

ZEN DOG . . .

He Knows Not Where He's Going,
For The Ocean Will Decide,
It's Not The Destination,
It's The Glory Of The Ride.


Nigel

Date: 27 May 2010