Bermuda to Azores - Day 6

Peejay
Paul and Pat Marriage
Tue 25 May 2010 22:01

Day 6 Noon 24th May to Noon 25th May

 

Result! Thanks to all of you who were keeping your fingers crossed.

 

Skipper’s game plan finally paid off. We’ve motored for the last 36 hours continuously with no wind and found the corridor to the North of the high pressure system. We’re on the conveyor belt, poled out and starting to make good progress towards Horta. Now we just have to be watchful of the series of low pressure systems that head East and give the big winds and gales. The theory is simple. As we head East turn left for more wind and turn right for less wind. We shall see.

 

 

Graham getting his first taste of downwind sailing

 

But we’ve only just reached the favourable winds. While motoring we only managed 92 miles towards Horta because we were heading North to find the wind. Why not head East while motoring I hear you say? If we carry on heading East in the high pressure system we still have no wind and eventually run out of diesel long before we get to Horta.

 

.While motoring with no wind we changed the watch system and each took 2 hours alone steering the boat through the night. That meant 2 hours on and 6 off which again helped people catch up on sleep. We normally have two people on watch at night – 4 hours on and 4 hours off.

 

Nick cooked pancakes for breakfast but has still had no luck fishing so it’s corned beef hash tonight. One of Graham’s specials! Will report back on that tomorrow.

 

Paul - Peejay