15:19.8N 45:22.1W We are sailing

Tatt av vinden
Bjørn Larsen
Tue 9 Dec 2008 18:14
Today, half an hour past noon, we set sail. The wind was back. The Azores
high has been devided and almost gone for a while. Now the two parts merge,
and a strong high is building. As the winds blow clockwise around a high,
the north east trade winds are created. They have been disturbed by a deep
low somewere between Novaia Scotia and Greenland. Storm up there, in the
higher latitudes. We are talking big perspectives.

Our weather forcast from the grib files, which we downloaded yesterday
morning, did not give us much hope, so we were frustrated. The spirit was
low. So was the diesel tank. But yesterday afternoon we tuned the HF radio
for Boston, and we started to download weatherfaxes via our Pactor modem.
The surface analysis showed the calamities mentioned above. Then we had the
48 hour forecast, and, wow! The only interpretation was that the winds would
be back. The question was just how soon. We missed the broadcast of the 24
hour prognosis, and not until this morning, when we received the forcast
sent out by ARC office, as an e-mail, did we have the confirmation. It would
happen to day, and it has!

When we received the positions of the fleet yesteerday, we noticed that two
boats already had finished - not yesterday, but after 13 days something.
Wow! Even if they are big and fast, they must have had more luck with the
winds than we, and of course sailing much harder. Sailing double handed
means careful and slower sailing. As long as we make reasonable progress we
love that.

We like beeing the two of us on board. We manage to get enough sleep, which
is extremely important. We would have had more time to relax if we had some
more crew, but then again, another person to relate to. As my Austrian
friend said for himself before we left Gibraltar: "At sea - just the two of
us. Anything else is dangerous. Even your best friend, you don't know how he
will behave and react over a long time at sea." A little extreme maybe, but
he certainly has a point.

The bananas are ripe. All of them. This is banana fiesta week. I am the
monkey on board. I eat most of them, but today I think I will make a banana
dessert. I would like to add almonds, but Eva is not so fond of almonds as I
am, so I think I will use some other nuts and sherry. Maybe some tinned
pineapple.

The lure is out, but the fish won't bite. Meat for dinner then.