Cooling off up north.

LIBERTAD
Paul Huntley
Mon 11 May 2009 01:06

27:09N 64:05W

Libertad the Bermuda Triangle. Sunday 10th May 2009

Hi to you all once again, as with the Atlantic blogs when at sea, one day is very much like another, however today is a Sunday, the day of rest and it has been just that, calm seas and little wind.

Lucien has followed Drew, thankfully recovering from a very bad dose of sea sickness, I am pleased to say that both are doing well, eating as if there was no tomorrow. Lucien has been standing watches last night and today and even baked the bread.

We have been baking bread for many days at sea on the west bound crossing of the Atlantic.We thought with some success, however Lucien tells us that in years gone by he had worked as a baker in Paris, He has put us to shame with two perfect loaves risen to perfection, light as a butterfly and a Caribbean tan all over. Well done Lucien you have found your vocation in life.

The wind has now dropped to less than five knots and that will not give Libertad's twenty tons a hope of making it to Bermuda before next weekend, so we have fire up the Volvo and her 65 horses give us just over six knots. After ghosting along for a few hours at 3 knots we realised that Bruce, our Australian weather forecaster has predicted this calm from the start, and he tells us that there is wind closer to Bermuda so we will burn a little diesel tonight maintaining our average speed in the hope of a breeze in the morning.

The crew are all getting on well and have settled down to the twenty four hour watch system after three days. Many people have asked if it is boring at sea for so long, we all feel that the days seem to pass very quickly with the daily chores of cooking, cleaning and running the boat, this does’ leave a little time for relaxation and book reading.

Guy has been busy with celestial navigation, calculating a Sun Run Sun again today to a good accuracy. It is very hard to sight the sun at midday and drop it to the horizon with any accuracy. The boat rolls even in the slightest swell and you lose the body on the way down. Considering the problems of bad weather and cloud cover particularly in the northern hemisphere, it is no surprise that ship wreck was a common occurance.You may recal a British Admiral who refuse to listen to his navigating officer and was so confident of his position the entire fleet under his orders  followed him on to rocks around Scilly in a storm with an enormous loss of life. We are truly spoiled these days since the invention of satellite navigation (GPS)

I have to tell you at the risk of making your collective mouth’s water ,Drew cooked up the best Lasagne I have tasted with the last of the fresh salad to be followed by crepes cooked by Lucien with fresh lemon or lime juice  and lashings of honey or strawberry jam as an option. It should stave off the scurvy for a few more days so we will eat our fill.

With little or no wind the engine will take through the night and sixty miles closer to Bermuda.

That's about all for now keep well and keep reading the blogs.

Venus is up in the western sky and we still have a horizon away, you go Guy and shoot that planet. 

Best wishes and love to you all

Paul