Slow and Pleasant

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sun 13 Sep 2009 13:35
Noon Position: 36 54.0 N 007 57.4 W
Course: East Speed: 2 knots
Wind: West, light air .
Weather: Sunny, warm
Day's Run: 70 miles

Another 24 hours of light airs averaging about 2 ½ knots, well at least we're moving. The poor old mainsail was copping a bit of a flogging so I have resorted to poling the jib out one side, and the drifter out the other, with its sheet led through a block on the end of the boom to give it maximum area and to stop it from chafing on the shrouds and spreader. I haven't used this sail configuration for ages but then I haven't had a long bout of light winds from astern for a long time either, not since crossing the South Atlantic back in 2004 as I recall. It is wroking well.

I spent much of the morning repairing a broken mainsail batten and sewing in a new cringle on the luff, and I have a bit more sewing to do yet while the mainsail is down.

And I still haven't decided where we are going to stop next, it really is very pleasant out here. A little place called Isla de Terifa looks like a good spot where we can anchor in clean sand. It is just short of Gibraltar, so I think we will continue on to there to await the replacement credit card.

All is well.

Bob Cat:

It seems skipper Bob has fixed the stereo, all of a sudden he is playing some music. He hasn't done that for a while. As long as he keeps it soothing, a little Handel seems a good accompaniment to my vocation . . . Zzzzzzz.