Malta to Pilos

Spindrift
David Hersey
Sun 1 Aug 2010 15:29

31/07/10

 

13:00

We set the clocks to Greek time and left at 11:00.  There was better wind than expected and we  sailed nicely for the first hour . The wind then backed  so we put up the spinnaker and are currently making reasonable speed i.e. 7-8 knots. Given the lorry strike in Greece we will make every attempt to conserve diesel.

 

We are passing a couple of oil rigs and there are a dozen or so tankers queuing up to take on crude.

 

20:00

We were visited briefly by a couple of very  large dolphins this afternoon but they were more interested in fishing than in chasing us at 9-10 knots.  The Spinnaker has been up since noon and for a while we were really stomping along.  The wind has eased this evening but we are still making good progress. For a while today it was nearly 30 knots and we were flying.  The DC generator water pump impellor went AGAIN, after only 30 hours of use.

 

041/07/10

06/30

Last night during Demetri’s watch the wind went North and even Northeast and when he got fed up heading practically towards Libya he woke Steve and they dropped the Spinnaker.  I blissfully slept through the sail change. We are now pushing windward with a full Main and single reefed Yankee, 

 

Last  night I was reviewing our intended route and realized that if we check in in Pilos rather than Kalamata we would save nearly 30 miles.  So that was a no-brainer and we’re heading for Pilos.

 

11:00

Our 24 hour run was 180 miles with 179 to go to Pilos. The wind has stayed North and we’re not making quite as much Northing as we need, The wind should back later and we should be able to make up the difference but we will be pointing all the way. The forecast never gave us the wind strength we have, which is a good thing as we’ve yet to even think about turning on the beast.

 

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