Tunisia to Cartagena Day 4

Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Wed 18 Aug 2010 15:13
37:48N 01:23.73E
 
Wednesday 18th August 2010
 
Log   8848
Distance run in 24 hours  118
Total distance run  474
 
More unsettled weather.  Unfortunately the predictions change on a daily basis which makes course decisions tricky.  Have managed to get grib files for weather twice over theSatphone, but it is still not working consistently and we will need to think about this before making any long passages.  We knew enough about the weather, however, to know that the night would bring more rain and lightning, so the laptops went back into the oven again.  Fortunately, dinner was chicken curry which only demanded use of the stove top!  As darkness fell it was difficult to make out where the dark clouds were,so we used the radar to find the rain.  We don't mind getting wet, (though prefer not to!) but it's the unpredicatability of the wind associated with the rain clouds that can be a problem.  We spent another unpleasant night and this morning dawned grey and cold.  As I came upon deck to take over from Steve, he said, "Give me back the Eastern Med!"
 
Gradually the clouds lifted, the blue sky reappeared and the sun shone.  The seas slowly flattened out and in 3 knots of wind we motored straight for Cartagena.  With 130miles left to go, we hope to make landfall tomorrow