12:37.20N 033:37.33W

Rehua’s blog: route and anchorage stops
Wed 7 Jan 2015 13:25
12:37.20N 033:37.33W

Jan 7th 2015 12:25 UTC-1
Finally we have managed to get the Inmarsat working so when the mood takes there will be updates and we can download our coveted grib files every day.
Big day today, confused seaway (5mtrs and starting to roll), wind (25-30knts), upside the sun seems to be threatening an appearance and has the Saharan dust really gone!
The boys slept in the "drum cabin" last night, when the waves slap the bridge, its like having Cosy Powell wreck your sleep, Audrie and I alternated on the cockpit bench, much quieter! We are running 4 x 3 hour shifts from 20-00hrs through till 08-000hrs, its working well, but, we seem to have a gremlin aboard who keeps leaving chocolate wrappers around the helm seat, search will take place today for the culprit.
Our buddies on Taff Tumas (Puma 47 mono) are 85 miles to weather of us and experiencing the same conditions, NE wind, big sea, no Trade winds down at 12 degrees, the weather is definitely awry. We are a good match speed wise and are ticking off 150nm+ per day, 624.41nm as I type from 14-30hrs Saturday, only one hour of motoring to clear the lee of Sao Antao in Cabo Verde.
We snapped our topping lift yesterday in an involuntary gybe, the Autohelm detected a wind-shift and we didn't hear the alarm above the din of the rooster tail we are laying, anyway not a disaster we have a spare which I will run through if the seaway flattens out over the next week.
Our speed record now stands at 14.2knts with two reefs and a furled genoa :-) mighty fine surfing last night, we held twelve's+ for up to a minute at one stage!
We are already speculating a landfall date, at this rate we will be in Bequia after 13 days sailing, cant wait.
Tyrii saw his first real shark yesterday, "quick lets get him something to eat" mmmm! just what we need a hungry shark trailing our boat! No idea what type but big enough to remind you that swimming out here is not for the feint of heart.
A big thank you to James our weather guru who has been frantically smsing our iridium with updates and to Bram for posting the Google updates, hopefully you can have an uninterrupted day from here on in, I said hopefully :-)