41:30.000n 42:28.000w

Distance to home:  1865 miles

Distance run today:  103 miles  

Course 075

We have reports that yesterday’s blog didn’t land so here is a review of the last 2 days activities and comments.

We are now less than 2000 miles from home and are awash with visiting mammals, but haven’t seen a fish for days.

Congratulations to Tom, Wills’ brother who we believe made it to Paris after cycling from London in 48 hours! He is also raising money for St Helena‘s Hospice and I’m sure Dad is watching down with great pride in what he has achieved!

Domestic

Rummy scores on the doors and after 49 games Jez is leading with 1505 points, Tim has 1598 and Wills is trailing with 1630points, but he did make a blooming good loaf this morning! (sorry had to be done)…

Things are varied on the book front with Jez finishing Bryson’s and now staring idly into space thinking he should be writing a CV, Tim is struggling to find the right book and has stuck mainly to sudoku, Wills on the other hand, the passionate reader that he is, is about to start his third book. Although the trip got off to a ropey start and he didn’t finish ‘Africa in a Balloon’ due to its repetitiveness since then he has read two crime fiction novels, the latest being ‘Blood Work’ which he finished this morning…If only he had brought university related reading with him…..

Canned Tuna for tea in a tomato sauce with pasta and garlic bread was rubbing it in a bit when the rods are failing to deliver but we have done a stock-take and we still have plenty of food, water and beer. Although the fruit and veg hammock is starting to look bare with a small amount of celery left, one cucumber, four oranges and four lemons. There are still plenty of onions, garlic and chillies!

Washing duties have returned today, they started last night in fact in order to soak overnight, rinse this morning and allow the whole day for our clothes to ‘dry’, they’re never entirely dry until we wear them next no matter how hot the sun is or how windy it is, not that we have much of that at the moment...

The engine was on over night Wednesday, we have the cover of the motor removed in order to increase the cool air getting to it which makes sleeping a slightly less peaceful experience. Even at 1500 revs its like trying to sleep next to an old tractor with a blown exhaust !

That said, we all snore quite badly at times and this appears to have been good training as we all slept well.

As we have moved further north we are starting to see the vapour trails a lot more of planes heading to and from America.  They are making about 500 knots to our 5 but we reckon that our food is better.

Sailing

A mixture of motoring at very low revs in a silky smooth sea to give us 4 knots and spinnaker sailing. 

The spinnaker sailing is frustrating as the wind is a bit flukey but we are making decent progress

A Chinese woman standing watch on a massive car transporter promised us Force 4 from the West today.  We live in hope …

We also saw a true giant of a ship yesterday afternoon.  A tanker that was 300m long and 60m wide.  It passed at about 10 miles but was large enough to see very clearly. 

Natural History

After our encounter with whales that was mentioned in Wednesday’s  blog we had another visit in the early evening, we think it was mother and calf transiting us astern, heading north. They’re fascinating creatures but we wish they showed more curiosity and came a little closer

Dolphins, as per, – Spotted and solid dark varieties and often in very large numbers playing in our bow wave.  Thanks Dave for the update on Common or Atlantic White Sided.  We are waiting for the next text to land to tell us where the yellow stripe is.  Iridium is being a little erratic at the mo.

Pasties of all sizes from the snack sized ones to the extra large Cornish!

A few different jelly fish, one that looked like a orange spiral of suckers and a few smaller brown ones.

The Storm Petrels are frequent visitors and we get the occasional tern.

Today’s (and yesterday’s) responses

William R – I think you got a better deal than your mum.

Lizzie – more whales later in the day.  Glad you all had a good time.  Mind William on the trampoline!

Em - shall e call you "Mario" in celebration of your plumbing skills ?  (ask the kids for explanation).

Gran / Richard – thanks for the FIFA updates.  Sounds like they have got the wrong men.  Or, at least, not got the right one.  Benitez at Real sounds a good move but perhaps he should consider West Ham first.

Emily – A great time on the 25 mile time trial of 1hr 11mins and well done for dragging your mum round! (Come on!)

Dave S – welcome back.  No Tuna, eating tinned for now.  Final text arrived - we have Common Dolphins.  They should be at home with us.

Bye for now