Repot to 1400 hours 07/06/08

After yesterdays drift about I had a useful blow during the night up to force 5 for a time but it gradually died in the early hours so I went to bed and awoke to find I was hove to drifting north.

The wind continued light for most of the day. My chart plotter constantly calculates how long it will take me to get the Azores at the present rate of progress.  At the moment you will be pleased to know it tells me it will take 30,381 hours 20 minutes to get there, it certainly feels like it.

However there are compensations; spending more time on deck I have now seen some wild life.  I am currently 500 miles off the coast and came across a group of about 20/30 birds, over a metre wing span, very short body, say about 20% of the wing span, dark grey on top, light under parts. They were just gliding over the surface, wing tips appearing to touch the waves, what are they, type of small albatross?  Next a pod of large Dolphins swam by; they didn’t strop to play like the little ones off Plymouth and then in the still afternoon I heard it:  A wale blowing, just a couple of hundred yards away, just rolling along and blowing with each roll.  He/she was quickly gone but it was a moment worth coming for?  Talking of wild life, well hardly wild life, I forgot to tell you; coming down the Bay of Biscay a racing pigeon came to stay for a rest, he sat in the rigging for several hours before going on his way.

Miles sailed in the last 24 hours 84 (quite surprised when I saw that), Trip 834 and CMG 623, roughly half way!

Poppa/Dad/Roger