Voyage to Verde Islands - Day 6
Stargazer of Southampton
Susie and Adam (both think they are skipper)
Fri 17 Dec 2010 10:47
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17:12.10, 18:49.50N 22:02.61W
We've really been having to sail the boat over the
past 12 hours, the wind has been good most of the time however, it has been so
variable the direction changing and the strength going up and down within the
hour so although it was quite a nice night last night - there was no sitting
downstairs checking radar, reading books and popping head out every 15 mins for
a look around as we have managed to do on a few nights so far -
we both spent our watches in the cockpit constantly tweaking sails and direction
to keep the boat moving and comfortable as the wind varied from 5 knots to 17
knots. But we're stil making good progress - given that the yachts who
listen in on a weather network were saying that you had to go 100 miles east to
the african coast to pick up a breeze this isn't bad.
The wind and the weather has been getting warmer -
writing this at 1030 in the morning this morning and it is warm and sunny even
with the breeze, the sea temperature changed within the space of 24 hours
yesterday from being 23 degrees as it has been since we were in Madeira, to
26 degrees so perhaps there is a slightly different current here - 26 degrees
sounds nice. We have lost contact with John and Alex - we must have moved
out of range of one another, but we just saw our first other yacht for 24 hours
a few minutes ago.
More Dolphins yesterday and also some Whales that,
studying the book, we believe are 'False Killer Whales' (bit of a rubbish name
for an animal that but never mind), small pod of them swam past the boat
yesterday just as the sun was setting. Adam has also just seen loads
of flying fish this morning - but we're not having to scoop them off the
deck.
Correction from a previous diary entry! I
said that the correct term for our multitude of shooting stars was Germoloid
Meteorites or something - I was writing that at about 5 in the morning, the
correct term was in fact Geminids Meteor Shower!! - it was still impressive
though to see.
We're currently considering going straight to San
Vincente rather than Sal as we can get better supplies there at Mindelo and if
we need anything fixing then there is more likely, we're headed for it right now
but a lot will depend on the very changeable wind, fingers crossed it will now
stay from the north.
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