43:20.000n 38:25.000w

Distance to home:  1651 miles

Distance run today:  116 miles  

Course 075

Thanks for the FA Cup updates (Harvey, Stu, Dave S and Mum).  A bad day for the Spurs supporting skipper, in a week when Chelsea win the league and Arsenal win the cup.

Jez and Will are keeping their heads down in case he breaks out the “cat o’ nine tails” in frustration :-)

Domestic

Bacon sarnies for breakfast.  We know how to live

Jez and Will continue to break bits of the boat on a regular basis.  A sail change this morning resulted in a foot going through a dorado vent (it lets fresh air in to the boat but keeps the water out – at least it used to …).  These are supposed to be sailor proof but a couple of years in the Tropics have made them brittle.

Still, it kept us amused for 30 minutes as Tim set to fix it with some glass fibre matt and resin. It should be good to be re-fitted in a couple of hours. 

Our clocks are going forward an hour each Sunday to bring ships time into line with BST.  Jez has just announced that it’s now 1pm which has delighted Will as suddenly it’s lunchtime.

Sailing

Sadie is going well and we are settled for 2 or 3 days with twin headsails set in anticipation of 15 to 20 knots of Westerley winds – perfect for us as we head North – East for home.

We have been speaking to a yacht called Snowgoose, although we never saw her as she passed 7 miles ahead of us in the clouds and murk.  She is on passage from Connecticut in the US to Horta.  The high point of their passage is that they passed 3 miles north of an iceberg whilst off Nova Scotia. 

We have been inside the theoretical ice limits for June over the last couple of days and Will and Jez can confirm that the water is pretty cold having thrown buckets full over themselves whilst washing.  But we are really unlikely to meet an iceberg.

What we have seen are a couple of big logs of cut timber floating past.  Jez has a thought carefully about dragging them home for the Rayburn but unless we are prepared to spend another 3 months out here towing them then they are too big to bring on board.

Natural History

Snowgoose report that their fishing has been as successful as ours.  Bloody Spanish trawlers.

Nothing much to report, the sea is not rough but is lively enough to restrict our ability to see much unless it is on top of us. 

Plenty of birds about but nothing new.  We have noticed that they continue to fly at night which can be pretty disconcerting as they flap around the cockpit in the gloom.

Today’s responses

Will Erron,s BBQ go ahead,, but it sounds like it may be the Balti King !

Stu – Thanks for the TT results, less so for the football commentary.  Twins are going to take some beating.

Dave S – Sounds like a good day out for all.  Thanks for the update on my wife’s drinking problem.  I agree that Tea really isn’t socially acceptable in that company.

Harvey – looks like you backed the wrong horse in the Villa

Joe – glad you got a game, think that you are doing so again today so good luck.

Em – sounds like a great time at the Whittaker’s but I suspect you are paying the price today and trying to get the kids to various events.

Richard – Thanks for update, looking forward to Blue Whale surfacing alongside.  You will be able to track us on AIS Marine Traffic once we are in the channel but we need to be relayed from a shore station and there are none out here.    

Mum (Jan) – Hope you had a lovely day at Gray’s with all the gang! Dreaming of BBQ food spam sandwiches for us for lunch, what a shame I missed this one Gray, seems like we’ll have to have another one when I am back! Love to all !!

Bye for now

Sadie