After dithering about the weather for a couple of days, it became clear that the depression that we worried about was not going to be as significant near Bermuda as feared, so we concluded that we should head off today. This allows us to benefit from favourable winds from the northern sector for a couple of days, though it looks as if we if we might lose this thereafter unless the big low in the Atlantic moves on east.

We had done a few last minute jobs, such as sending Jim up the mast to free off the port spinnaker block, and put away one mast step that I had missed the other day, loosen and re-reef the new downwind soft luff foresail that had become twisted, sort out some last minute provisioning, clear out at customs etc etc....a surprise really that we managed to get off at all, never mind by 1630!

This we are finally off, and heading for the Azores, hopefully arriving sometime this month! With some luck and judgement, we should do it in around 18 days, so Ali will have to celebrate her birthday at sea.

 

Old World, here we come....

Watergaw