Portugal to Las Palmas, Grand Canaria 35:17.694N 10:45.604W
Shaya Moya
Don & Susan Smyth
Fri 5 Nov 2010 13:37
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Friday 5th November Midday
We left Sines at 10am yesterday in no wind at all. Clear
blue sky over an azure sea with Portuguese fishing boats busy all around us. We
used the calm period to relash the main sail clew to the turnbuckle ( getting
enough detail now Rob?) and did a general sail check. Issued each of us our man
overboard lifetags to be carried on us at all times. They will sound an alarm
and place a position waypoint on the chart plotter in three ways, if submerged,
move more than 10m from the sensor on the boat and if manually activated. As we
are only three people we will do our night watches of three hours each solo, so
having this safety device brings great piece of mind.
With the light winds we had to motor for the first 12
hours or so. Finally at 2 in the morning the wind came from the North east at
F5/6. We are now broad reaching at 8kts in the right direction for the Canaries.
We are 130 miles South of Portugal and 160 miles West of Morocco. Apart from the
odd cargo ship on the horizon there is'nt another soul to be seen. Not even bird
life. The dolphins we had escorting us down the Portuguese coast are nowhere to
be seen so far out here.
Why is it that natural disasters always seem to hit the
poorest area's. Hurricane Tomas hit St Lucia earlier this week causing
considerable damage to mainly the southern part of the Island. Rodney bay which
is in the North suffered no damage what's so ever. Electricity is back on in
Rodney Bay but water will only be reconnected mid November. The Southern Airport
is closed but should reopen soon. The ARC Organizers have appealed to ARC
participants to help by continuing to support tourism to the island. World
Cruising Club will organize a cash collection and the distribution of any
supplies like canned food and dried goods.
Ship routine has set in with the night watches, eating
meals, general boat maintenance and cleaning (H.G.!!) and catching up on lost
sleep. Reece busy trying catch a fish now. Hope there are no plastic bags so far
out here! |
