37:01.238
N 076:20.604 W
12/05/10
12:30
I managed to sleep a bit. Just before I gave up and got we had a course change which allowed the
pole to be dropped and now we’re sailing upright with no rolling and very little
list. It was good for a shower. Its
sunny and I’m glad to say warmer than its been. The boat speed is over 6 knots
and the wind SW Force 4.
18:00
Very pleasant afternoon sail, the wind’s gone WSW Force
five and at the moment it looks like a very early ETA. Less than 70 miles to go.
I’ve just decided to slow down to 5 knots so we don’t get there too
early.
We’re 15 miles off shore and have been invaded by a phalanx of flies and
one tired butterfly. Excuse me while I reach for the Baygon imported all the way
from Greece, and
on the boat for three years.
Instead of a sunset we’re getting thunderstorms on the
horizon. The rain is only 4 miles
away.
20:00
We kept reefing and the boat speed didn’t decrease.
Finally we put all the sail away as we were hit with 44 knot wind gusts and
surrounded by lightening. Just as we were having dinner. Very
dramatic.
13/05/10
01:00
The rain continued and by 11pm we were being headed. When I came on watch at midnight Steve was motoring at 5 ½ knots into a
North Wind. The thunder storms
continued and we were deluged with tropical rain. I slowed the boat to 2.5 knots
...there’s current against us..as the visibility became non existent. The radar was just a big squall
blob. We’re only a few miles from
the harbour approach channel and although it is well buoyed, we don’t know what
the vis will be like when we get there and I would prefer to creep along until
first light. As I write this the
rain seems to have passed over us, for the moment at least.
08:00
We eventually arrived at the approach channel just as it
was beginning to get light, the rain remained but the vis improved and we were able to proceed normally. It’s quite a long approach to
Hampton and we still have 10 miles
to go. We’re currently sailing at 9
knots. The weather is resolutely
English.
09:00
We’re moored on the t-dock of the Hampton Yacht Club
which was arranged by Carolyn who sailed with of the Millennium Odyssey 12 years ago.
She did one leg on COMPANY before Robby joined us. She wasn’t here to greet us but is
flying in from
Nantucket for the weekend.
Hampton is her home
town.
There is some hope of better weather tomorrow.
