Saturday 18 November 2006

The night is very cloudy and I cannot see the stars, where is Orion now when I need him.  So much for the stellar navigation, like thousands of others I shall just have to resort to GPS.  The swell was again uncomfortable, but not too bad. 

Wind is continuing at 10 – 12 knots and I am getting about 3.5+ knots.

I had been doing 150 degrees off the wind, but that was taking me a bit too west if I want the option to stop at Cape Verdes.  The main blankets the genoa at that angle and so does not get an outing.  I decided to take the angle down to 90 degrees and that meant I could put the main out, it should give me a bit more speed, nearer 4 knots.

Diesel the first day I used about 5 litres.  I also lost 1.5 litres to the bilges the first night, but I was too tired to check what was banging about.   So I compensated by not using the engine to top up the batteries.  DG can create enough power to run the fridge by day and the lights at night. 

I do not need the radar, I have not seen a single boat since leaving Gomera, there is nothing out here, only me. 

I do not need the chart plotter as the navigation is fairly straightforward.  I have marked my position on the paper chart and since starting I have moved about 2.5 inches, with about another 12 to go. 

The water was still warm enough to wash my hair this morning and I will run the engine when I have to run the inverter to top up the computer battery.