Close of day 4 - towards Azores 34:57N 54:25W

Ticketeeboo
Sue & Alan
Tue 20 May 2014 15:00
Start of day 5 Tuesday 19th May 2014.
In position 34:56N 054:25W COG 068(T) SOG varying 5.5kn stb'd tack very broad reaching using poled-3 reef genoa. Wind SW F4 & now only 1.5m seas
Flores, Azores is 069º(T) 1,139NM Dist Run by log in last 24 hours 119NM Dist made good towards Flores 114NM.

Last night was simply the calmest night at sea thus far and we all made plenty ZZZZ's and are all the better for it. We are expecting to keep sailing like this until late afternoon, early evening, when the wind is expected to back further and increase strength a little. When this happens I am expecting to put poled-genoa away and to have jib (maybe reefed genoa) + reefed mainsl for next couple of days or so. We should be able to continue making good towards Flores. Our distances covered last 24 hours may seem low but we've been sailing at speeds typically greater than 4kn and sometimes almost 6kn. In next 24 hours we expect to sail at higher speeds so will keep-up our expected averages overall. No good going fastest possible all the time in nasty conditions - tiring on yacht and people.

Without specially needing to go out of our way we're heading towards last reported position for Cheeki Rafike, which is presently in news for wrong reasons. Now 340NM bearing 54º(T) from us and thought to be drifting SW'ly we will be keeping good look-out for anything. I know it's a bit of a 'needle in haystack' but we don't use blindfolds and have to hope the casualties can survive long enough to be found by US Coastguard. as Mike said this morning "It's difficult to imagine these waters few days ago in storm conditions and ranging seas reported 20m high?" Naturally we will do everything possible NOT to experience it either! At present we are blessed with favourable fair winds and only 1½m swell and are making progress quite nicely & comfortably. Even the sun is shining and we can see blue skies again............ so squiddy's having a swim-about, in the hope a nice tasty tuna will take a fancy to squiddy without chewing what's left of it's skirt - i.e take the hook please?

We continue to have main meal of the day in the early afternoon, which fits best for our routines. Yesterday evening I did us scrambled egg and toast .......... unusual because we all feel well and this is usually reserved for sickies! It was gonna be scrambled eggs with smoked salmon but the salmon is lost in the freezer (somewhere in the far reaches) so we will have that to look forward to another day soon.

Message to Willow from Mum .......... "We're fine and can you please remember to wish Tony a Happy Birthday from Mum & Mike, on Thursday 22nd May. We saw more dolphins yesterday afternoon, one in particular show-off kept racing the bow and flying out the water. Unfortunately the show was so spontaneous and exciting we did not take a camera with us to the bow so no pic's! xxxxxxxxxxxx"

Love to Sue, R,M,S & T and J,P,F & S xxxxxxx
Ticketeeboo MMSI 235071989 Callsign 2CED3, Ham callsign = m0hng
At 20/05/2014 14:59 UT our position was 34°57.24'N 054°25.47'W
http://blog.mailasail.com/ticketeeboo
www.winlink.org/dotnet/maps/positionreportsDetail.aspx?callsign=m0hng