39:39.2N 39:19.0W - 1500 Miles Done

Yellowdrama IV
Skipper/Crew: Blake and Clarissa Richter
Tue 22 Sep 2009 18:45
Hello Blog
 
1500 miles just clocked up. Beautiful sunset last night. We have seen a spectacular sunrise and a school of dolphins - all within 24 hours.  The girls were on watch this morning and a fin appeared...  5 or so dolphins in a pod of 20 jumped clear of the water to get a look at the boat!
A steady 18 knots of wind and glorious sunshine today. Lunch is in the oven. Andrew  has shot some great video footage to share with friends and family upon our return. Steve is at the helm and enjoying the speed. Would be nice to tell you that a cheeky chablis is in fridge. Instead we'll just have to postpone that pleasure for just another three days.
The wind is being less kind to us now, up to 20kts .  Moving Northeast making it a hard beat to the finish.  Well reefed down we will do it slowly but surely!  Hopefully by Thursday it will moderate and move West giving us a spinnaker finish.
 
Last night, whilst looking at the radar for incoming squalls, we spotted a contact 5 miles off directly in our path.  Being a clear night - we couldn't see any signs of lights...  Many ideas cropped up about what it might be as we carefully approached.  The skipper ordered the course change to check it out.  Not to mention obvious nighmare scenarios, it turned out to be a very solid cone shaped red buoy with 2 light reflectors on it.  It looks similar to a channel marker but these don't usually have red and white reflectors on them?  There was no light or radar reflector  on it.  We were not sure if it was drifting or fixed.  It floated very still in the large sea and would have made a big dent if we ran into it!!  Just shows it has been worth checking the radar everynight on the half hour or so!
 
Position of the buoy if anyone thinks we should report it to someone - AT 0350UTC - 39deg56.09N  41deg24.04W.
 
Blake, Clarissa, Sasha, Mark, Andrew and Steve