OCT 19^th Midday

Not a lot to report.  We are still on the same tack and the pole is still up. Or rather up again as after my watch  when I had slept for a couple of  hours the wind went a bit North and Steve decided to drop the pole.  The  noise of the winches in the aft cabin is deafening and needless to say I woke up and had almost gone back to sleep when the wind returned to NNE and the pole went up again.  I eventually gave up and got up an hour early for my watch.  We are now over half way to Gran Canaria and  in the last 24 hour period  did another 192 miles.  The sun is shining and the sky last night was full of gigantic stars. Last night Andrew did a Duck a la orange which was a feat in the rolling sea. Sotiris found himself wearing his glass of wine at the table…which didn’t please him greatly. I finished reading Ghost, the new Robert Harris book which is a very thinly disguised  delightful  indictment  of  our ex Prime  minister Tony and Blair and especially Cherie,  although in the book they are Adam and Ruth Lang.  How he is not being sued is a mystery to me. It is a brilliant explanation of the “special relationship” between Bush and Blair. I would go on about the book but I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone who reads it.  Highly recommended.

ETA Gran Canaria  Midday Sunday if the wind holds.

Oct 19^th 9PM

Still doing 9 knots and the moment we put the food on the dinner table a fish struck.   In seconds he took 250 meters of line and   before we could slow the boat enough Steve had to stop the line from whizzing off the reel completely and it broke.. lost the fish and the lure..it all happened very quickly.  We will have to have a stop the boat quickly drill as its not easy going downwind at speed.  Especially as Sotiris had trimmed the main earlier and forgetten to reset the preventer so to add insult to injury we jibed.  Twice.

Makes you think how difficult it would be if someone ever went over….

Rule one: Stay on the boat.

OCT 20^th Midday.

Another 185 miles ticked off.  142 to go. ETA Sunday early AM.  We’re fishing again. No luck yet. Beautiful warm and sunny day. Everyone slept well last night.

We must be doing something right.