First week
Stream
Darrell Jackson and Sarah Barnes
Sun 1 Dec 2013 19:49
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18.07.443N 29.59.84W
La Gomera seems an age away rather than a week in which
we have sailed well over 1000m. Will you be stopping anywhere? I was asked
by a choir friend. Having poo-pooed the idea, I've been proven wrong. On two of
my own watches so far, we have been becalmed in a glass-like ocean lolling
about from side to side and going round in circles for 3 or more hours. Then,
out of nowhere, a wind springs and we are off once more in roughly the right
direction But as for the trade winds shown on the Atlantic chart, they are not
to be seen / felt though we've come well south to find them. None the less we
are pushing ahead into the sunset which happens progressively later
day by day.
The vastness of the ocean is only now hitting home. Over
1,100 miles sailed and nowhere near half way there. We see the lights of other
yachts at night sometimes, but every boat is picking its own way through the
calms and storms on its own bearing, hunting for steady easterly wind.
We have had an unexpected visitor during Darrell's early hours watch. As I
was dozing off below I heard him talking to a bird that turned out to
be a very stray cattle egret in need of a rest. It perched and flew
around the stern for 20 minutes of so. We doubt its ability to survive so far
from land.
Today's calmer water has allowed some jobs to be done,
foremost, drying out the sodden oilskins . Boy, has it rained. There are always
things to be mended, serviced and cleaned, but today done in pleasant
sunshine and warm wind (c.28C). Hard for us to believe it's now
December.
Quentin filled us all up with an excellent spag bol with
a nice red wine to accompany. Let's hope for a quiet night's progress
westwards.
First weeks daily totals:
25/11 192nm
26/11 116nm
27/11 144nm
28/11 150nm
29/11 176nm
30/11 144nm
1/12 138nm
Adam
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