Lat: 36:46.6. N : Long: 045:16.0 W.

Saturday, 14^th June, 2014 – Noon Position, 685 nm to Lajes Marina, Flores in the Azores, North Atlantic.

Dear All,

"If you go down to the seas today you're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down to the seas today, you'd better be in disguise.

Today's the day the Teddy Bears don't get bored, 

Today's the day the Teddy Bears put their clocks for'rd!"

Our Northerly airstream is great to sail with, but has brought down some real Canadian cold with it. But, No, I don't know where that silly nursery rhyme came into my dreams from, but there it was, mixed in with my thoughts of clocks and time zone changes when I woke up and saw how bright it as so early, so here it is for you to interpret how you will.

Yes  - we have now entered the dizzy realms of Mid-Atlantic time, having crossed to a Longitude of 45* West, so, as this represents an Easterly change of position of 15* from our point of departure in Antigua, we must shift all our onboard clocks by an hour, to get closer to the reality that will be the time zone used in the Azores.

If we don't shift clocks it doesn't matter, as long as we remember what time it is, but we will have another early morning wake-up call, like this morning, before 04:00 when the skies turn bright, which is way too early to wake up if you're not on watch! This is not to mention the fact we are now having to ready ourselves for the 'Noon Sight' at about 11:00 am!

So, as from just after noon today, "Sulana" is going to be running on UTC - 03:00 hrs (or Z +03:00, to define it in the RYA Yachtmaster standard fashion, which was typically just too confusing to get right first time for most students, including myself!). Today will therefore be a 'long' day.....

Well, ever since we got through a big weather shift line around 23:00 - 02;00 last night we have been sailing fast and hard on a beam reach in up to 22 knots of breeze and biggish quartering seas, so we reckon we must have finally caught up with and hooked into our Low, all as we had fervently hoped for. The barograph does show just the tiniest little drop of about 2 mBars at around that time last night, so we obviously went through some kind of change line.

Now, beware of what you wish for sometimes, as, of course, with more wind at the bottom edge of this Low has come a bigger swell left over from the central depression that started up near Newfoundland, so the motion is a rolly and slightly uncomfortable one.

Sue, my dear, you would not have liked this part!

Anyway, the good news is that we are reeling off the miles to go fast now.

And the next bit of good news is that Nelius's first (and second) attempts with the breadmaker have proven a spectaular success! These loaves don't go far and last too long, but they sure taste good! Jason and Will reckon he has got himself a new career move awaiting him when he gets home. Perhaps Oudthoorn is in need of a new young baker? This is the small country town where Sue will recall we bought a huge bag of baking flour from the cafeteria on the corner of Main Street, in South Africa, and where his grandparents live.

Still no fish caught yet, though, although a big something or other just took our L'Exocet Flying Fish bait off the hook, but failed to stay around to get tempted by the hidden squid lure and hook beneath it. Pity, as fresh fish would be a nice change from all this red meat and chicken right now. We'll just have to keep on trying.

PS. Pub Quiz question answer for today :-

L'exocet is the French name in Martinique given to their particular brand of extra large flying fish, which explains why the French (& British-) -made Exocet missiles used by the Argentinians in the Falklands' Conflict were so named,  skimming wavetops as they did to such dangerous effect.

That's all for now, folks.

Bye, bye,

Alan and the "Sulana" crew.