Course 240  

 

 

 

I geared up last night by putting a reef in the main for a steady windshift from the 10 kt northerly that we had to a 15 kt NW and expected to change course and maybe roll a little foresail away as we did so.   We didn't get a steady windshift but a whole night of alternating between 5kt and 20 kt winds, changes in direction and sea states from flat calm to "bloody hell, do I have to go into the cockpit in that ?".  Oh, heaps of rain too.

 

No sleep and no peace from 10.30 pm till 4am.  I should learn and get some between 8 and 10 but the end of day is always nice to watch and I never do.  Anyway, in amongst that there was a hour or so where the sky was pitch black and the boat was throwing up great sheets of phosferescence on either side which was really cool.

 

I got to sleep in 30 and 40 minute slabs from 4am till 8am as there was no shipping about and have caught up this afternoon.  The wind has been pretty much from where we want to go so I have been chasing round the edges, trying to get in as much west and as little south as possible which is more or less working.

 

Nature  

I spend a lot of time in the cockpit because when it's not raining then it is really lovely out here and when doing nothing else, I'm looking for whales but they aren't playing along and I've seen nothing.  I have seen a couple of furry swallows with a white patch on their back which the book says are storm petrels.  They look so weak when flying that you think they must be blown out here and are desperate for somewhere to land but apparently that is a feature of their flight and they are right where they are supposed to be.

 

General.

I think you are getting some duff weather (you'd best fix that or it is going to mess up my plan to ride the Azores high home) so hesitate to say this, but it was bloody hot yesterday and the fridge took the battery down to 11.7v.  I have turned the temperature up from 5 degrees to 7 degrees C which I'm pretty sure is fine but perhaps someone will text if that's likely to kill me with food poisoning.  Certainly the battery is now happy and sat at 12.5v in bright sunshine and lots of input from my solar.

 

Em asked me if tests are always free to the iridium phone because I said previously in the blog something about texting for free between 4pm - 7pm.  The answer is yes - always free to test me.  The 4pm - 7pm bit is because I only turn on the phone between these times but anything sent will catch up with me when I do so.

 

Hope you are all well - I'm due a pit stop and looking forward to talking to some of you in a couple of days.  Nearly there. 

 

Texts.

 

Richard - Sounds like the Aussies are keeping the Ashes for now but I will keep hoping for a weather miracle in our favour.  I plan to re-supply and take a couple of days rest in Ponta Delgarda and then push on for home.  My objective was / is the offshore sailing rather than tourism but I'll get in what I can while there.  Terceira is an island on the way home so I may call there too.  But this all depends on weather and I wont know where the best route and timing sits until I can have a proper look once in.  Tim will be doing some of the prep for that because he has much better info than I do until I get to wifi.

Dave S - same on Ashes.  Bloody Aussies.  Fish pics follow and I'm getting through it.  For one man to eat a whole tuna takes a special effort, but I am that man.

Em - hope you enjoy the zoo.  Curry sounds good but I'm going for spicy tuna and cheese melt on baked bread roll tonight with a side of spicy bean salad.  Just seen your update and you are in the thick of it.  I'd have a glass of wine if I were you.

Lizzie - hear that you are not feeling well.  Hope that you are on the mend and feeling better.

Pat B - Great to hear from you and I think that you are one of the few who qualify as having more on your plate than Em while I'm away.  Hope David and Luke were in good spirits and I suggest you take them one of your fruitcakes (I've always loved those).