Returning to the end theme from last night, we had Jim on the music box this evening. Good start with the Mamas and the Papas, then on to the Rolling Stones – he must be older than he looks! Either that or he is selecting things that were in his parents’ collection in order to keep the old folks happy. Lorraine has had a couple of nights as DJ, and tends towards Van the Man and Rod Stewart, though she has been impressed with Ray Lamontagne and Jack Johnson so we have heard great favourites on her entertainments watch.

Both of them are big divers, with a passion for sea life, swimming and sticking their heads underwater. Lorraine has also been keen to go swimming out here in mid-Atlantic. We have been reluctant to stop the boat since we are not making the kind of progress we would like, so have offered a compromise: we can put her on a long tether and let her body surf behind us. Whether it is the fear of becoming shark bait, or of our reluctance to come back for her if she loses the tether, she has so far declined.

On this subject, we are still desperately short on whales. Two sightings are just not enough out here, and we are pining for a glimpse of the creatures. The Azores is renowned for the concentration of whales, so we passed time today envisioning them waiting for our approach, ready with their breaching, lob tailing and slapping the arrival. We will probably be so knackered by then we won’t notice the fanfare!

We did see another turtle today, which looked either dead or very close to it. He was covered in some kind of weedy growth, and floating just on or below the surface. Jim thought he saw some movement, but I felt it was just the action of the waves. It seems terribly sad that an animal has made its way so far from its “home” for breeding reasons only to find itself expiring in a watery grave.

Progress

We crossed the 2/3rds mark this evening, as we ate dinner. The remaining distance is shrinking nicely now. There was a slow, but amusing start to the night watches: at less than 2.5 knots in variable winds, Ali followed Lorraine’s example of the previous night and allowed the boat to head back for Bermuda till she re-established control. Thereafter things improved as we finally clawed our way out of the ridge in which we had been stuck for more than a day.

The wind picked up and by morning we were humming along beautifully: this is a matter of opinion, of course – Lorraine’s ideal night would have us triple reefed main and staysail if it stopped the banging, crashing and rolling that typify a boat on the wind passage-making in mid-Atlantic. It is hard to stay in one place in your bunk, so jamming yourself in is essential. She has the advantage of the best sea berth on the boat though I fear she does not see it this way – maybe a night in the fore cabin or aft cabin change her mind!

Hand, Reef and Steer

This was the old way, long since made redundant or made easy by technology of one kind or another, much thanks.

Our Hydrovane has been doing most of the steering for us this trip, as she did on the east-west crossing. It is truly a good piece of equipment, but it does have its idiosyncrasies. Though we meet the parameters of the manufacturer, the wind vane that drives the rudder is too small for a boat our size and weight, and likewise the rudder. This means that it takes too long for it to adjust our steering when there is a wind shift or we climb up and down a swell (of which there are a lot).

I have concluded that the company ought to change its strap line to “Hydrovane sails you more miles” and in parenthesis (than you really want to go) or (but not all in the right direction).  I reckon we must travel at least 10-15% further than we would by hand steering (though we have not had a lot of takers for this when offered as an alternative).

Lorraine (always the one for the questions) asked why we used it, but the answer is simple – c. 7 amps power consumption for the autopilot, which would cost us an extra c 150 amp per day whilst driving us mad with the see-sawing noise of the electro-mechanical drive.

Not only would this cane the batteries, but would require much longer running the diesel generator and cost us fuel – see previous posts!

It is a good night for star gazing, so necks craned….

Watergaw