Position 15:13.88N 051:02.62W

 

We forecast an uncomfortable night and that’s how it was.  Double teamed with helming 15 mins on, 15 off.  But the wind and sea states gradually improved and at 6.00 we gybed onto port and set the poled out genoa, once more on the rhumb line to St Lucia.  By early afternoon the sea state had improved allowing use of the autohelm

 

Prize of the day goes to Nadine, who showed great smoothness helming in the difficult sea.

 

Meal tonight of chilli con carne, with potatoes and potato omelettes courtesy of Toby, who remained remarkably unfazed, despite the cutlery drawer flying out in the swell and missing him by inches, and then the gas running out mid cook (we are now on the third of our four bottles, the last one has lasted since the day we left Cap Verde, and has been party to some significant culinary triumphs)

 

Tonight we plan to remain double teamed and to stay on poled out genoa, although if conditions deteriorate as last night, we will furl away the genoa and continue to run deep.

 

Day’s run, 179 Nm.  All in all, the day has been better than we expected (feared?) although we are all tired of the continuing rolling.