22:27.856n 60:48.816w

Distance to home:  3317 miles

Distance run today:  122 miles  

Course 070

Sorry it’s late – see below under sailing but we were occupied for a while …

We had a tanker come into view on the AIS (Automatic Identification System) Yesterday evening, it was 183 meters in length and heading for Puerto Rico and passed our stern 10 miles away. We could just about make out the navigation lights.

The AIS is a great tool to ensure we are aware of any vessel that may be coming close to our position and it can throw out a lot of information about the vessel without even contacting them, from its position, heading and size, to what its carrying, its destination and arrival time.

More important for us is the fact that we are transmitting too, so as a small speck in a big sea then the 183m tanker knows we are here and can keep clear if necessary.  Right now this is no problem as we think we are the only 2 boats for miles around but it will get busier as we head north and pick up the shipping lanes between Europe and the US.

Domestic

Yesterday evening we enjoyed a pleasant meal made by Tim of vegetable tomato pasta topped with cheese for main with peach halves for desert and rum punch on the rocks (!)

Until we start to experience some weather or a bite on the line this blog is in danger of sounding like a restaurant review, but food is the daily focus on board at the moment. Not that it isn’t a focus usually when back on dry land for Wills anyway.

Breakfast consisted of Bratwurst (?) sandwiches and later we may be getting some sausages out of the freezer section in the fridge if the fishing line remains quiet.

Tim is currently, very kindly, washing our smalls in the cockpit.

During the night Jez had a flying fish give him a surprise visit in the cockpit, which gave him a hell of a shock.  He viewed it’s potential as a meal and decided that this one could live to fly again so threw it back over the side.  Sadly for our visitor, it was in fact was left on the gunnels only for Tim to discover on watch later in the night. 

Jez should have fried it in the first place !

Wills was fortunate enough to spot a rainbow in the night sky from the reflection of the moonlight after a shower had passed around 1 am. He is also keeping up his count of at least one shooting star a night, seeing no less than three last night.

Sailing

Wind has shifted and after a slow night with lighter winds and we are now ploughing ENE once more.

A few reefs taken in and out but nothing dramatic to report.

Update – Jez’s fault for typing the line above, we discovered some damage to the starboard inner stay and have just been hove to for 90 minutes with Wiliam performing heroics halfway up the mast and Tim and Jez offering sound advice and feedback on his performance whilst safely on the deck.  All fixed now and we are Back underway.

Natural History

Our attempts to use a rod to bring nature to us failed yesterday.  Too much weed which is laying on the surface in strands, it looks like someone has clipped a fir tree and thrown the waste in the sea.  Lots of individual strands that clump together in long lines and snag our trailing ropes for the windvane.

This has cleared overnight and the lure is back out.  Bought by Tim on the internet from Australia.  It seems that when you pitch up in a Chelmsford tackle shop and talk about fishing for marlin and tuna then they can offer little in the way of advice or equipment.

Todays responses

Em – How did the Nissan do then ?   MOT Time

Harvey – No football on Saturdays for a while – what are you going to do then ?

Lizzie – No dolphins yet, glad you had a good time

Joe – you had a haircut yet ?

Alex – thanks for your political updates and we are looking forward for the football  

Sadie