Return, 3rd report 46:34.42N 17:15.74W
Ellatrout3
Tue 8 Jul 2008 13:06
|
8th July 13:00 (6 days and 10 minutes since
departing)
Hi all,
Thanks to those of you who noticed my (Paul) error
in reporting the last position. Over-exhaustion wreaks havoc on the
concentration!! The one at the top of this message is right - the Admiral
has checked it....
Still on our way - the wind (direction at least) is
being very good to us. We had another grand day's sailing yesterday flying
both Gennaker and Spinnaker (not at the same time, of course). Right now,
in fact for the last 24 hours almost, we have been "using" the effects
of a low developing west of Ireland which is giving us some lively
seas, powerful winds and herds of white horses. I am told to report
that the Sandhorse is playing with the Seahorses. Right now we are down to
a 3rd reef in the main and a small hanky for a jib. Exciting sailing to
say the least!
Having noticed and discussed the lack of
phosphoresence on the earlier part of the journey we were rewarded with a
veritable firework display last night. We were both up between 12:00 and
02:00 doing sailing-type stuff and ended up just sitting almost mesmerised by
the brightness of the little critters in the water. It was another
moonless and dark night, we switched the boat's lights off and saw the most
amazing sights. Coming up from deep under the stern was a massive stream
of green light - it was almost as if lamps had been installed below the
waterline (don't think the Admiral has been watching Pimp My Ride do you??);
and in amongst it were hundreds of bright blobs - small jellyfish we
think.
Progress has been good, we past the halfway mark at
06:36 hours this morning, 662.5 miles done and 662.5 miles to go. Shortly
afterwards, (at 08:11 precisely) after a lively half hour, we cleared up the
mess of being hove-to with the full main aback (it was pinned to windward by the
preventer) and the full genoa goosewinged. If we hadn't been moving
sideways down a wave creating a "bow-wave" with the side of the boat we would
have been stationary - which would have probably been better! Luckily for
me (Paul), I missed this excitement - well, more to the point I woke up with the
Admiral crashing about getting us all ship-shape again. Probably very
lucky actually, I might have discovered what colour Adrenalin was!! The
cause of this little excitement was a squall which crept up
un-announced.
That's it for now - lunch to prepare. The
Admiral doesn't like to be kept waiting.... no rest for 'other
ranks'.
Regards to all.
Poppa/Dad/Roger and Paul.
|