day 5b

Sadie
Wed 27 Nov 2013 19:55
23:54.630n 21:06.836w
 
 
Distance to Antigua       2325 miles
 
Distance Run today       135 miles
 
 
Got a few iridim problems today - someone let us know this gets through please
 
 
Sailing update 
 
Trying to get past a big low pressure NW of Cape Verde and we have been beating throughtout last night and today into 15 - 20 knots from SSW.  Direction of travel is OK but we want to get through it and down to the trades having had a taste of fast and easy downwind sailing a cople of nights ago.  Weather forecast gets downloaded to us as we upload the blog and if it shows what we expect we will be off to the SW again tomorrow. 
 
No ships all day today  in daylight but we did manage to get the only 3 boats in this part of the Atlantic (us, another yacht and a big Chinese freighter) within 1/4 mile at 4 am.  Jez had been watching things come together like a slow speed collision on the radar for 2 hours as our relative speeds were low with the 2 yachts doing 6 kt and the freighter overtaking at 12 kts.  Such things pass for excitement in mid atlantic and Tim got a shake 10 minutes early for his watch so that he could have a look.  We excused Ricky this time but if we have to make or own entertainment then he may have to join in in future.    For all this - the sea was clear again a cople of hours later and its been a bit like sailing through a desert.
 
While I think of it.  It was really, really dark last night.  We had full cloud cover and there was nothing at all except the glow of the cockpit instruments - you probably had to be there but it felt like you could reach out and touch it. Being real men of course we weren't impressed or worried by this and dealt with it by putting in some headphones and letting AC/DC take the strain. 
 
Domestic
 
Ricky woke up today !  He has been feeling pretty ropey with sea sickness (although he hasn't actually been ill) for 2 days but bounced out of bed this morning ready to go.  This was just as well as he and Jez had to strip down the wind generator in the cockpit after it swallowed 3 metres of 50lb fishing line.  The lure is still out but, to date, a wind generator remains all that we have caught.
 
Jez remains top of the pile at Gin but Tim is still threatening to change the game to scrabble.  Now Ricky is up and running he will get the deciding vote. 
 
All Jez's luck is focussed on the cards as so far he has lost a halliard up the mast , broken a cup ( one of the big ones for drinking tea by the bucket so he's not popular with the skipper or we think with Cathy) and snapped a pair of glasses at the bridge.  In biblical times he'd be thrown off to be eaten by a whale but a comprehensive survey has shown there to be no whales in this part of the Atlantic so he's OK for now.  Anyway, thats 3 so he should be allright.
 
Tim is producing curry as we "go to press" and we continue to think that if you are going to go to sea for 3 weeks then it's best to do so with an ex-chef.  We had another excellent Tapas lunch in the cockpit - here is a picture.
 
Todays responses (and a question)
 
Question first - Aimed at Dave Smart but anyone can have a go.  What is the bird we keep seeing ?  It's the only one (and the only thing) out here.  About 10 inch wingspan, flies low over the water and lands occasionally.  Looks a bit like a swift on steroids and has a white flash on the top of it's traingular tail.  We realise that this makes us sound elderly but we have to relate to what we are seeing and this is it.
 
Em / Cathy - synchronised hair appointments?.  You both reported these yesterday.
 
Rowles kids - Granny says she is back home now and that you have worn her out ! (Hi mum).  And I hear that Chelsea lost - it's not too late to switch to Ipswich town.
 
Alex - All our sports reports are coming from Gooners (including Granny Jen) - we need a balanced view.   
 
 
Sadie