Day 30
leeonsea
Lee Price
Thu 26 Jun 2008 19:05
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N40.11.65 W025.59.47
Wind: <10kts Heading 045T
The wind went from NE very little to E less,
last night at 2200. As a result the engine went on and has been on all day, the
pluses are that for the first time since leaving the Bahamas I have a full
charge in the Batteries and I'm heading in the right direction at about
4kts.
I've found that as long as the engine is topped to
the brim with water, it'll run indefinatly quite cool so long as you don't try
and press it. As I've mentioned before, I just have it in gear at tick over,
more than this would drive you bonkers anyway as the noise it too much. I do
only have 6 days of fuel though so at least half of this leg will need wind to
complete it. So far though no sign of any decent sailing wind. I'm not getting
as stressed about it as I was before and I can't really account for that change
in my outlook.
As a result, last night was spent nested in the
Duvet (it's too cold for just a blanket now) in the cockpit, burrowed down deep
against the chill and keeping a cheak on the temperature of the engine and the
Heading on the Electronic Autohelm which has a tendency to slip
occasionally.
I'm a little bored, the weather is fantastic, a
really nice beach day but not so great for sailing. At least I'm heading the
right way at a respectable speed, 97miles logged again which again, considering
the very light conditions is perhaps more than I could hope for.
I've not downloaded any weather or listened to
Herb, this may seem odd but I don't care to know, the Barometer was
showing a slight increase over night but is dropping down to where it was
yesturday and that is still good and high, there's not a cloud in the sky and
the sea state remains calm though the swell has pushed round to the SE and has a
little chop to it, just enough to knock the air out of the main sail and flog it
in that way I find quite unbearable. I'm trying to read my surroundings for
myself and see If I can get a better result than downloading the forecasts which
were invaribly wrong. Certainly i'm more aware of the weather and as I'm not
expecting something to happen based on a forecast, I'm developing my own
awareness of what will come next and I'm not dissapointed by a lack of wind that
was otherwise promised, helping my stress levels I think. Feels more safe
somehow, like I'm not going to get caught out, if it's heavy weather I'll have
seen it coming, been more aware of it building and therefore have taken
appropriate action sooner. I'll let you know how this theory works
out.
Might break the 1000mile barrier tomorrow, which is
something I've been podering on also. It's seems an age ago when I broke that
barrier on the first leg, and I'd been at sea some considerable time by then
too. It really is a different trip.
There's a lot more traffic which is something to
worry a little about, already I've seen more ships in three days than the entire
first leg. Many of them on a parralell course to me, I assume heading for the
Channel which is the part of the trip I'm most not looking forward to. If it's
going to go wrong, it'll be there and judging by the 4 ships today! it'll be a
busy and sleepless day or two. Well, we'll see.
That'll do for now, I've moved past 40N and so
hopefully will pick up a bit of wind soon, there was a front supose to pass
through tomorrow which would bring something but that was when I looked on
Sunday and frankly I have no idea how that all actually did develope. I know
that the Azores are beautiful and probably somewhere worth exploring properly in
their own right, but I doubt I'd sail there again as a stop over, their position
as pivot point for the Atlantic weather system makes them a devil to get to, it
certainly would have been a quicker passage by maybe more than a week had I
have stopped at Bermuda instead and bypassed north of the Azores but there you
go. I don't regret it atall, it's a fab little place, just as a place to make
for in a crossing the Atlantic kind of way, I'm not sure it's worth it, might be
better to be at sea a bit longer and get where your going.
Still, was able to work on the tan a bit
today.
L.
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