First week

Stream
Darrell Jackson and Sarah Barnes
Sun 1 Dec 2013 19:49
18.07.443N 29.59.84W
 
La Gomera seems an age away rather than a week in which we have sailed well over 1000m. Will you be stopping anywhere? I was asked by a choir friend. Having poo-pooed the idea, I've been proven wrong. On two of my own watches so far, we have been becalmed in a glass-like ocean lolling about from side to side and going round in circles for 3 or more hours. Then, out of nowhere, a wind springs and we are off once more in roughly the right direction But as for the trade winds shown on the Atlantic chart, they are not to be seen / felt though we've come well south to find them. None the less we are pushing ahead into the  sunset which happens progressively later day by day.
 
The vastness of the ocean is only now hitting home. Over 1,100 miles sailed and nowhere near half way there. We see the lights of other yachts at night sometimes, but every boat is picking its own way through the calms and storms on its own bearing, hunting for steady easterly wind. We have had an unexpected visitor during Darrell's early hours watch. As I was dozing off below I heard him talking to a bird that turned out to be a very stray cattle egret in need of a rest. It perched and flew  around the stern for 20 minutes of so. We doubt its ability to survive so far from land.
 
Today's calmer water has allowed some jobs to be done, foremost, drying out the sodden oilskins . Boy, has it rained. There are always things to be mended, serviced and cleaned, but today done in pleasant sunshine and warm wind (c.28C). Hard for us to believe it's now December.
 
Quentin filled us all up with an excellent spag bol with a nice red wine to accompany. Let's hope for a quiet night's progress westwards.
 
First weeks daily totals:
25/11    192nm
26/11    116nm
27/11    144nm
28/11    150nm
29/11    176nm
30/11    144nm
1/12      138nm
 
Adam