11:06N 38:45W Thrilling or terrifying?

S/V Blue Argolis
Greg and Sue Hill
Mon 12 Dec 2022 16:24

 Latitude 11 06.500N ; longitude 38 45.132W Monday 12 December 2022, entering day 11 at sea 


Yesterday was a bit of a ‘meh’ day. We were both tired and feeling lethargic, same as the wind, which came and went, one moment 10knots the next 15knots…. Making a sail plan difficult to agree on. We’ve been at sea 11 days, but are not even 1\2 way across yet due to our slow start, and not sure we will be in for Christmas? But, as evening came the wind eased further and our boat speed died to 3 to 4 knots through the water, we felt the time had come for action! So we put up the cruising chute, poled out to starboard, flying like a spinnaker. Yes, we did this as dusk was falling….. and held it for the next 12 hours racing along between 5 and 7 knots. It certainly felt edgy! I thing Greg wearing his Stetson hat and spurs would have flown it longer, but when I came on watch at 08.00, and we were doing over 7 knots through the water with 17 knots of wind I called a halt! We’ve still proceeded nicely all day at between 5 and 6 knots under a poled out genoa, achieving our best daily run to date 126nm. That’s definitely more like it! 


Not only did we have a great run overnight, but the boat was flat and calm too, making sleeping much easier :) can’t beat a good nights sleep! Whilst Greg was off watch, and I was on spinnaker duty in the wee small hours, I couldn’t help but wonder at what we were doing, mid Atlantic, spinnaker up at night? I have to admit I was on edge watching it, hardly looked away from it, let alone left the deck for 4 hours! I kept asking myself if I was terrified or if this was terrific? 


Those who know me better might know that a few years ago I was poorly, this time 2 years ago, as we went into the third lockdown I literally couldn’t move. Could not get out of bed unaided, let alone the house. Steroids have been my saviour! I stopped taking the last of my steroids when we were in Cape Verde, and I’m pleased to say the warm weather and the sailing are really helping, I’m not regressing and apart from needing a couple of pain killers on night watches, almost my old self :) in my musings last night I found myself thinking about this. Terrified was being poorly, thinking I had no future beyond day time tv and that not only I, but Greg, as my then full time carer, would never achieve our dreams. Now look at us :)


So in conclusion I thought to myself at silly o’clock in the morning, terrified or thrilling didn’t really matter, I was in the moment living! One life live it, one wave at a time! 


I just want to beg a bit of forgiveness for my philosophical ramblings. We write this blog to give a position fix and to give reassurance to family and friends that alls well! But, there not a lot to say about the routine of sailing an ocean? We are making progress, but we’ve seen no ships and caught no fish, except a hand full of flying ones that we throw back in every morning! Sun rises, sun sets! Greg is very much focused on the here and now, the boat, sailing …. But, I find myself sitting alone on deck under the stars thinking…. And I guess, we also are writing this blog as a bit of a dairy for ourselves :) so capturing the thoughts here is also important. So, please bear with me ;) Alpha Whiskey


Yours aye


Greg and Sue xx


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