Position 1200 UTC +0200hrs 2nd December  20:22.00 N 36:12.00 W   1463 miles to go.

 

Well would you believe it.  I’m sure some of you will understand that the passage we are making takes us along the North East trade winds so we assumed that we’d be on starboard tack ( that’s with the main boom on the port side) for the duration.  Not so and this afternoon we actually gybed including the poled out genoa.  It only took us an hour but we recon we can get that down to 55 mins if we practice every week.  A bit of a surprise though having to do so.  There were mixed feelings from the crew at this manoeuvre.  Jennie voted against it as she now needs a lee cloth on her bunk to make sure she doesn’t fall out.  Anthony was in favour as he’s needed a lee cloth since the start and now doesn’t need one.  In the end we had to if we were to hold course but as for the future, I don’t think Anthony should get too comfortable!!  There are other issues related to this as well.  Everything which used to stay on a surface now slides off and everything which used to slide off now stays.  What was uphill is now downhill and what was downhill is now uphill.  We have to learn to live the other way around.

 

We’ve made good progress overnight dodging some of the squalls and catching others.  Phil got a bit wet today.  On the fish side there’s been little action with no catches and only one flying fish giving themselves up, although we did see an enormous tuna spring from the water.  I’m sure he’d have broken our line if we had caught him.

 

The astro is going well although there were no formal classes today.  Phil did open an astro drop in centre though.

 

Home caught fish eaten by 3 of the crew last night.  Phil had lamb.  We also had a desert which was somewhere between a tart and a strudel which was very nice.  Half was apple and sultana with the other half pear and nutella.

 

First lot of bread made aboard today and it turned out well if the speed with which it was eaten was anything to go by.  Having just read what I’ve written, I don’t want you to think that we spend all our time cooking and eating.  We do have sunbathing to fit in sometimes.

 

We are all well and hope to have a half way party tomorrow.