The First Full Day
Stream
Darrell Jackson and Sarah Barnes
Fri 29 Nov 2013 14:58
|
25:23.11N 19:34.55W
If you're reading this and its still November, then
we've cracked the technology. If it's mid December we haven't, and are relying
on good old wi-fi!
We finally left the fuel berth at San Sebastian at 11.20
on Sunday and motored in 1-4 knots of wind for an hour and a half in the lee of
the island before picking up a force 4 westerly for some fine sailing in warm
sun, just what we'd come for. By tea time we had two reefs and a well furled
genoa and a F 6 north westerly which gave us a steady 8-9 knots of speed and
often we were surfing down the waves at over 10 knots, exhilarating stuff
right through the night. Adam passed his first solo night watch with flying
colours and we did not need to change sail plan at all. We hope all nights are
as pleasant.
The day dawned cloudy at 07.00, but by 9 we were in warm
sun again with F 3-4 winds and no reefs. By lunch we had boomed out the genoa as
the winds lightened and our speed fell to 5-6 knots. Our 24 hour run was a very
pleasing 193.1nm, but having seen the weather files before we left, this is
unlikely to be bettered for some days!
We are settling down to a routine aboard and tonight
managed a proper cooked meal as conditions are much smoother, a modification of
one of Jamie's fine Italian meals, Pasta Norma, washed down by the wine that was
left, after someone threw the bottle on the floor. No names mentioned to protect
the guilty, but the person is now on his second solo watch.
Wildlife has been totally absent apart from the odd lone
Shearwater and a tern. No dolphins. No whales. No ships. No yachts.
We are all alone and having a great time!
If this reaches you as planned, future posts will be
longer and the crew will be expected to contribute full, otherwise I will
start naming names and giving you the
dirt! |