Tuesday, 23 May 2023, 09.00 (LT) 13.00 GMT

Strongbowofbosham
Tue 23 May 2023 11:17
Well, Horta gets nearer. Just under 350 miles to go. We’ve been been motoring since late Saturday with our rolled main not doing much other than steadying our motion as we progress against light head winds. At this time of the year history suggests that the dominant wind direction is from the SW. We’ve had over a week of winds from the ENE/NE and are likely to have the same for another week or more.

We thought we would be motoring all day today but the wind built a little so at 8.30 (LT) we cut the engine and are sailing close hauled ESE at around 4 Kn. We started with 560 l of diesel, 140 l more than we had when we crossed the Atlantic, but we haven’t enough to motor from here all the way to Horta, but we are a sailing boat!

Despite loading 560 l of diesel when we left we will almost certainly have to beat under sail for a period to eke out our fuel.

Down to the last 2 beers between us. Still we’ve still got 4 cans of corned beef left. Life isn’t that bad. The Azores to Plymouth leg is about 50 % less distance than this passage. We’ll refill the diesel to the maximum of 560 l but take at least double or even triple the beer on board. We cannot risk a court martial with an ex sea captain coming on board.

37:51.30N 035:44.18W

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