Our position at 12 00 on 22 June is N W . We have about  nm to run to Horta in the Azores and we have completed a more modest  nm in the last day. Eight full days completed.

 

22 June - Things have got more brisk and we are sailing now on a heavily reef head sail and two reefs in the main on a reach and sometimes a broad reach. Things are under control, so apart from the occasional rough wave that drenches the cockpit area its fine. Therefore sitting out is a bit of a lottery. The problem with sea water is once you are wet with it it never really dries and you just end up being damp all the time. You could wear full waterproofs but it certainly not full waterproofs weather at the moment.

 

I have to recover the squid to to check something and was sat retrieving the line when I was hit by an enormous blue wave. That’s full water not spray. I was soaked luckily I had changed into already damp clothes before venturing out.

 

Its 17 00 and we reckon we will crack the 900 nm  barrier before midnight. So the wee dram will be in order after us tea.

 

At about 22 30 it started raining and that’s where the rot set in. First there was a massive wind shift that took us way way off course. So, we gybed to get a better angle on our required course. Then the wind died and we were left floundering. We gave up on the sailing and went below for our celebratory midnight feast, at least we had cracked the 900 barrier. Cheese and biscuit for me plus crisps for Norm and a dram or two for us both. It wasn’t quite as I had imagined me sat there in my underpants and water proof jacket and both soaked through.

 

June 22 - I soldiered on gamely making the best of a bad job during my watch until 03 00 but I couldn’t face listening to the sail flogging away for the next 3 hours. Therefore we opted for the thumper for the next three.

 

We thought we felt the green shots of a recovery at 06 00 (where have I heard that before) so stopped the engine and got the sails working. Like all recoveries it takes time and there are set back along the way, like no wind again and rain but we are plugging along still at 10 00.