Just had a TXT from Boo, he seems fine, although not having that much fun:
"35 53N 36 36W. THRN HED FST ACRS CBN THOUT I BRK ARM. 4 OR 5M SEAS.HAD 30KN TTL DRKNES.SO COLD!"
Translation for those who don't speak TXT:
"Thrown head 1st across the cabin, thought I had broken my arm. 4 or 5M seas. Had 30KN, total darkness. It's very cold".
Crutey
Where is Doris?...
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Thursday, 28 May 2009
North Atlantic 6
Monday 25th May 2009 (Afternoon)
Well I tried to go north but the winds once again went light on me, so it was a case of keeping what wind there was in front of the beam resulting in more of a north east direction. Still, I think as long as I maintain this pace I should avoid the calms on Wednesday.
I finally had to put the last three remaining potatoes out of their misery as it just wasn't fair to let them suffer any longer. I sat down in the sunshine of the cockpit with a bowl of pub style 'cheesy chips', served with ketchup and mayo - superb! It reminded me of summertime after work drinks after a day in the office and it was very tempting to open the single can of chilled 'Carib' beer I have saved for my arrival in Horta to complete the experience - I resisted.
The flat seas combined with the sunset this evening was the most amazing so far, a full purple sky leading to a blood orange sunset, no 'Green Flash' though.
Tuesday 26th May 2009
1200utc position N33 34.98 W44 26.84 with 106nm covered in the last 24 hours.
The highlight of the day. A whale sighting, almost a collision to be honest!
At 14:45utc I came up on deck to look straight into the black eye of a whale almost alongside us on the port side. He was about 20ft away from the boat, about 30ft (similar size as Doris) in length but not very 'thick set', swimming completely along the surface (no diving at all). He had a squarish looking head (Moby Dick style), a tiny stumpy dorsal fin and I couldn't see the tail at all. I am sure he was alone. He was in position N33 45.81 W44 11.42, heading NE at around 3kn, also going to the Azores I guess. I did consider slowing the boat down to have a closer look - then thought better of it!
Actually, if Doris had been 20ft further to the left, we'd have tried to mount it doing over 6kn! 'Whale Oil Beef Hooked!'
Before I set sail or leave for any other adventures I have to get books on Sea Mammals, Sea Birds and Fish of the world. If anyone knows what kind of whale this might be I'd love to know.
Well another book completed - 'Ice Bird'. Not a bad read, mainly if you are obsessed with sailing, especially of the Single Handed variety. Always slightly more relevant, reading such books when you are alone in a boat in the middle of an ocean as well!
It did make me get out the pilot guides and have quick look at what's involved in visiting Antarctica. It would be good to say you've been there at least . Hmn?
While I remember:
Nils - Hopefully, you are still in Horta, I'll be there soon I promise!
Dinner was potato gratin and corned beef with grated cheese, thank god for cheese, it makes almost everything edible!
Just as it was starting to get dark I noticed two small seagulls flying around the boat, one of which seemed intent on landing. He hovered over the cockpit several times but the reefing lines and mainsheet kept scaring him off. Then he'd fly off for a while before returning again. This time he managed to get both feet on the mainsheet and then on the winch briefly before flying off again. I saw him circling the mast and then lost sight of him. About an hour later I came up and found him perched on top of the sprayhood. He must be knackered to be so intent on landing after so many attempts. I left him in peace putting out a bowl of water just in case.
Later as the winds got up, I apologised in advance as I had to put a reef in and knew this would likely scare him off and if he was that weak, probably to his death. The poor thing looked frozen and was hanging on for dear life as the boat pitched and rolled in the following sea. Despite me wearing a head torch and making noise with winches and lines etc, he never moved!
During one of my routine watches I did see him stretching his wings, before eventually flying off about four hours later. It crapped on the sprayhood before it left, I wonder if it's still alive?
Tonight things seem even damper than ever. Standing on deck it looks like its raining but it's just the moisture in the air. It's also got quite a bit colder making the trip increasingly miserable. I find myself wanting a long hot bath, something I haven't done since, erm . over a year ago?!?!?!?
Wednesday 27th May 2009
A long damp night with very little sleep. Morning bought grey skies and a horrible lumpy sea. Last night I went from one reef to two and finally three as winds increased, only now to be scratching in 8kn of wind. I cheered myself up with a bar of Cadburys Fruit & Nut chocolate for breakfast!
I have just (1100utc) received an update from Otahi (Freya & Flavio) and there position is N28.7424 W60.512 - all OK. They appear to be only just over 300nm from Bermuda, maybe they are stopping off there or just heading north for better winds?
My 1200utc position is N34 36.94 W42 22.79 with 127nm covered. Only 696nm to landfall - Jeez!
I was barely moving for a few hours in the afternoon, until after constant sail trimming and 'faffing' for want of a better word, we started to move. The wind crept up to 10kn, then 13kn, then 15kn by which time I was thinking of putting in a bloody reef after having barely any wind.
The sky said it all really, I was just to preoccupied to pay it any attention. I found myself flying along in winds of 20kn with gusts to 25kn with 2 reefs in and a scrap of jib. In no time at all the rains came and the seas got ugly. This basically lasted all day and it was a rock & roll ride. When it got dark, maintained 2 reefs until the early hours when again the gusts went over 26kn forcing me to put in the 3rd reef.
Needless to say I didn't get much sleep through the night, having left over potato gratin & corned beef to get me through the night without further cooking. My main worry was other ships with visibility being very limited in the steep seas and driving rain. I kept watch as best as I can but to be honest a lot of time was spent in the sleeping bag.
Thursday 28th May 2009
With first light I shook out the 3rd reef going back to only one as the winds had lightened and the seas flattened off a little. Breakfast was hot porridge followed by catching up on sleep, something I intend to do all day.
My 1200utc position is N35 08.42 W40 17.52 with 114nm covered. I am not sure what to do in terms of routing. Either: A. Carry on going East and staying low to avoid a nasty storm (winds to 30kn+) brewing for tomorrow evening. This may leave it hard for me to go north afterwards.
Or: B. Make as much North direction now while I can and simply 'man out' the storm, then carry on east afterwards. I'll get more up to date weather forecasts later and sleep on it.
Well I tried to go north but the winds once again went light on me, so it was a case of keeping what wind there was in front of the beam resulting in more of a north east direction. Still, I think as long as I maintain this pace I should avoid the calms on Wednesday.
I finally had to put the last three remaining potatoes out of their misery as it just wasn't fair to let them suffer any longer. I sat down in the sunshine of the cockpit with a bowl of pub style 'cheesy chips', served with ketchup and mayo - superb! It reminded me of summertime after work drinks after a day in the office and it was very tempting to open the single can of chilled 'Carib' beer I have saved for my arrival in Horta to complete the experience - I resisted.
The flat seas combined with the sunset this evening was the most amazing so far, a full purple sky leading to a blood orange sunset, no 'Green Flash' though.
Tuesday 26th May 2009
1200utc position N33 34.98 W44 26.84 with 106nm covered in the last 24 hours.
The highlight of the day. A whale sighting, almost a collision to be honest!
At 14:45utc I came up on deck to look straight into the black eye of a whale almost alongside us on the port side. He was about 20ft away from the boat, about 30ft (similar size as Doris) in length but not very 'thick set', swimming completely along the surface (no diving at all). He had a squarish looking head (Moby Dick style), a tiny stumpy dorsal fin and I couldn't see the tail at all. I am sure he was alone. He was in position N33 45.81 W44 11.42, heading NE at around 3kn, also going to the Azores I guess. I did consider slowing the boat down to have a closer look - then thought better of it!
Actually, if Doris had been 20ft further to the left, we'd have tried to mount it doing over 6kn! 'Whale Oil Beef Hooked!'
Before I set sail or leave for any other adventures I have to get books on Sea Mammals, Sea Birds and Fish of the world. If anyone knows what kind of whale this might be I'd love to know.
Well another book completed - 'Ice Bird'. Not a bad read, mainly if you are obsessed with sailing, especially of the Single Handed variety. Always slightly more relevant, reading such books when you are alone in a boat in the middle of an ocean as well!
It did make me get out the pilot guides and have quick look at what's involved in visiting Antarctica. It would be good to say you've been there at least . Hmn?
While I remember:
Nils - Hopefully, you are still in Horta, I'll be there soon I promise!
Dinner was potato gratin and corned beef with grated cheese, thank god for cheese, it makes almost everything edible!
Just as it was starting to get dark I noticed two small seagulls flying around the boat, one of which seemed intent on landing. He hovered over the cockpit several times but the reefing lines and mainsheet kept scaring him off. Then he'd fly off for a while before returning again. This time he managed to get both feet on the mainsheet and then on the winch briefly before flying off again. I saw him circling the mast and then lost sight of him. About an hour later I came up and found him perched on top of the sprayhood. He must be knackered to be so intent on landing after so many attempts. I left him in peace putting out a bowl of water just in case.
Later as the winds got up, I apologised in advance as I had to put a reef in and knew this would likely scare him off and if he was that weak, probably to his death. The poor thing looked frozen and was hanging on for dear life as the boat pitched and rolled in the following sea. Despite me wearing a head torch and making noise with winches and lines etc, he never moved!
During one of my routine watches I did see him stretching his wings, before eventually flying off about four hours later. It crapped on the sprayhood before it left, I wonder if it's still alive?
Tonight things seem even damper than ever. Standing on deck it looks like its raining but it's just the moisture in the air. It's also got quite a bit colder making the trip increasingly miserable. I find myself wanting a long hot bath, something I haven't done since, erm . over a year ago?!?!?!?
Wednesday 27th May 2009
A long damp night with very little sleep. Morning bought grey skies and a horrible lumpy sea. Last night I went from one reef to two and finally three as winds increased, only now to be scratching in 8kn of wind. I cheered myself up with a bar of Cadburys Fruit & Nut chocolate for breakfast!
I have just (1100utc) received an update from Otahi (Freya & Flavio) and there position is N28.7424 W60.512 - all OK. They appear to be only just over 300nm from Bermuda, maybe they are stopping off there or just heading north for better winds?
My 1200utc position is N34 36.94 W42 22.79 with 127nm covered. Only 696nm to landfall - Jeez!
I was barely moving for a few hours in the afternoon, until after constant sail trimming and 'faffing' for want of a better word, we started to move. The wind crept up to 10kn, then 13kn, then 15kn by which time I was thinking of putting in a bloody reef after having barely any wind.
The sky said it all really, I was just to preoccupied to pay it any attention. I found myself flying along in winds of 20kn with gusts to 25kn with 2 reefs in and a scrap of jib. In no time at all the rains came and the seas got ugly. This basically lasted all day and it was a rock & roll ride. When it got dark, maintained 2 reefs until the early hours when again the gusts went over 26kn forcing me to put in the 3rd reef.
Needless to say I didn't get much sleep through the night, having left over potato gratin & corned beef to get me through the night without further cooking. My main worry was other ships with visibility being very limited in the steep seas and driving rain. I kept watch as best as I can but to be honest a lot of time was spent in the sleeping bag.
Thursday 28th May 2009
With first light I shook out the 3rd reef going back to only one as the winds had lightened and the seas flattened off a little. Breakfast was hot porridge followed by catching up on sleep, something I intend to do all day.
My 1200utc position is N35 08.42 W40 17.52 with 114nm covered. I am not sure what to do in terms of routing. Either: A. Carry on going East and staying low to avoid a nasty storm (winds to 30kn+) brewing for tomorrow evening. This may leave it hard for me to go north afterwards.
Or: B. Make as much North direction now while I can and simply 'man out' the storm, then carry on east afterwards. I'll get more up to date weather forecasts later and sleep on it.
Monday, 25 May 2009
North Atlantic 5
Thursday 21st May 2009 (Afternoon)
I managed two motoring sessions, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon, both of a few hours a piece. What can I say? I hate the noise and everything that motoring entails. OK yes, I'm going at almost twice the speed (~5kn) but it's such a chore and its so much more pleasant to ghost along under sail in the sunshine. I always said that my next boat probably would only have an outboard engine for getting into and out of marinas / anchorages.
I managed to find something to replace the broken sail slide, a piece of metal that I insulated with tape and attached to the luff with a piece of string, so I have full sail capability at least.
Culinary tale of the day - Sweet Popcorn. Nobody makes it, all preferring the salty stuff. Me having a sweet tooth, usually end up watching as it's consumed while I sit there starving - (Frey take note!)
Medium sized pan (mines none stick). Good dash of olive oil, a dash of Maple Syrup (Treacle or Honey might also work?) and some sugar. Heat over a slow heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Add popcorn seeds to barely cover the bottom of the pan and stir into the 'syrup' until all the seeds are well covered. Turn up the heat, put the pan lid on and start 'swirling' the pan by hand every few seconds. Soon the seeds should start popping , continue to heat and 'swirl' until the popping slows down (usually after a crescendo) and Voila! Sweet popcorn just like in the Cinema!
Not much to tell you about the day, it's been really relaxing with winds of about 7-9kn in which I sail at about 2-3kn. The evening was really eerie due to it almost being a new moon and the sea as flat as a lake. It's so dark that you can only barely make out a horizon, almost like you are surrounded by fog. We are just ghosting along under a full 360 degree star lit night sky, it's like being in an astrodome. The clouds have been but a few fluffy Cumulous all day, so there is very little risk of squalls tonight and it feels like I'm hanging out in my lounge reading on a summer eve. I slept like a baby throughout the night.
I couldn't quite understand why the cabin was so dark tonight, until I realised the VHF wasn't turned on. No correction, the VHF wont turn on! I checked that there is a voltage going in to the unit, and there is, so it looks like its actually fried. I'll take a closer look tomorrow in the daylight to make sure and use my handheld instead. My wind speed gauge has been acting a bit freaky as well, I thought it just needed recalibrating. It seems that there is a good possibility that I was either struck or affected by the previous night's electric storms. Argh! - Did I mention I hate lightning!
Friday 22nd May 2009
I woke up to find us still sailing slowly towards the Azores at a speed of around 3kn. At this rate I will be arriving at the same time as Flavio & Freya in Otahi who left a week behind me!
1200utc position is N29 54.22 W49 59.20 with 70nm covered.
I spent the day basically eating and resting. Lunch was onion, cheese and garlic omelette and I baked another loaf of bread in the afternoon, all very pleasant. Still not much in the way of winds and it looks like another depression is just forming to the east of my position. I really need to be going east to get on the right side of it, as it looks like it might turn quite nasty. Unfortunately, I can't make that point of sail without some south (~120 degrees, and hence kind of going backwards) and that's mentally killing me.
Once again I motored for a few hours when the wind went really light but generally sailed in the light airs at around 3kn all day.
In the afternoon I was amazed to see something 'waving' at me in the distance ahead. As I got closer, it turned into a 10ft pole connected to a float with a radar reflector on top that was 'anchored' to something underwater. I haven't checked the depth here but I am guessing its bloody deep! The position of this 'buoy' is N29 57.70 W49 51.87, its not lit so don't run into it if you are crossing at night!
Last night was absolutely pitch black, a new moon, very cloudy so no stars and no light to be seen anywhere. Except that is, the flashes of more electrical squalls that seem to be forming ahead of me in the distance as the depression starts to fragment and the whole area becomes unstable.
Saturday 23rd May 2009
I woke up to the sounds of flapping sails this morning around 0630utc with the wind almost none existent. There was no other option but get dressed and put the engine on. I motor sailed east until first light to be greeted by the biggest, meanest and scary looking electrical storm a few miles in front of me. I hate lightening so much that I considered 'hoving to' to let it pass as it seemed to be heading north and I had been motoring east (travelling right to left in front of me). However, this would have taken a good few hours judging by the size of it. I put on full oil skins including my trusty Dubarry boots as it was black cloud right down to sea level with torrential rain seen falling inside the system.
While turning on the motoring navigation lights etc I nearly 'shit myself' as the (previously dead) VHF radio suddenly burst into life at almost full blast (no squelch), the wind speed is accurate again as well and has been behaving itself all morning. Maybe I should rename Doris to Christine as she's obviously fixed herself!
I made a course slightly south of east (~100 degrees - motivated by fear) to find what looked to be the least threatening 'gap' through the wall of cloud in front of me. It took me two hours to clear it and make the other side into clear skies I don't mind admitting, I was 'crapping myself'! I could see forked lightning constantly touching down just a 'mile or so' to my left. It looks like my electronics are going to continue to live in the oven for the next few days and I think there will be worse squalls to come until I get a few hundred miles east of my current position, then it should be fair(er) winds and 'plain sailing' - I hope!
At 1000utc the wind had risen slightly and it was time for some breakfast and so off with the engine and back to sailing. Peanut Butter & Jam toast washed down with strong coffee to keep me awake. After removing the Sat phone from the oven, I received Otahi's second update. Position: N23.9792 W61.2126 - All fine and well!
My 1200utc position is N30 39.38 W48 43.73 with 80nm covered.
Since breakfast the winds have now got up to around 15kn and I am close hauled heading ~40-50T degrees. The wind should free later in the day and if so, I will be heading east as soon as possible. I also need to 'bank' some sleep due to getting up early this morning.
Sunday 24th May 2009
Well another Sunday at sea and its two weeks exactly since I left Antigua and that seems a long time ago. A pretty uneventful day yesterday except that I managed to sail all day without using the motor and even made some progress east as the wind freed up in the afternoon.
I managed to get loads of sleep all through the night and this morning I have finally been blessed with some tail winds. Although they are dying off (currently about 7kn) and I am making about 4kn of boat speed 'Wing N Wing' with the jib poled out on a heading of around 40T degrees.
1200utc position is N31 35.23 W47 32.03 with 96nm covered in the last 24 hours. Only 1009nm to go to reach landfall and I'll be glad when it only reads three figures instead of four!
This route is certainly more interesting than the east-west crossing with the unsettled weather and uncertainty of fair winds for much of the way across. There's no down wind sailing for weeks at a time! While the weather forecasts give a good impression of what's happening over a few hundred miles, it's difficult to predict what's 'around the corner' locally with it being so unsettled.
It also becomes very easy to get lazy and not change sail configurations etc to make the most of the conditions. To make as much progress as possible off the back of the squalls and micro systems means that this morning for example, I have had a poled out jib on both gybes and then a beam reach, all of which were in the space of two hours and going in a similar direction. You can bet I will be close hauled in the next few hours if the previous days are anything to go by.
Sure enough, the rest of the day was spent on a close reach through a rather lumpy sea, another day of 'crash bang wallop'!
It's been an exciting day as I have several little gems to report. Firstly, a 'fishermans' orange fender / buoy, which again, appeared to be anchored in position N29 57.70 W49 51.87. The pilot books don't recommend looking out for 'lobster pots' mid Atlantic do they?
I also saw another sailing boat in the later afternoon which vanished over the horizon heading north (compared to my north east) and if that wasn't exciting enough, as it got dark I was passed by a tanker about 2nm off my port side. It's been an eventful day I can tell you!
The night was rather uncomfortable, still close hauled and I had to put in the 3rd reef to make life bearable, only to then be almost becalmed about two hours later. I woke up in the early hours of the morning to the sound of 'voices', in a somewhat confused state. After frantically looking around the horizon with no sign of life, again the 'voice' came over the VHF radio. It
sounded Portuguese and I understood three of the words as 'small boat' and 'captain'. There was a position but I missed it or rather couldn't understand it. I waited for a repeat call but nothing came so I went back to bed.
Monday 25th May 2009
Another week at sea - Yay! Got up, shook out a reef which seemed to take all my strength, only to have to put it back in again an hour later! The grib files always dangle a carrot of fair winds just a hundred or so miles further and yet they always seem to fragment and vanish on me before I can reach them.
This morning is cold, overcast and everything is damp. I have to be honest, I am feeling quite tired now and the relentless slamming and banging of the boat beating to windward is 'doing my head in' The constant question 'am I pushing her to hard', it only takes one rigging component to break and its really 'Game Over' 100nm out in the Atlantic! I'd rather go slow and get there than lose the rig.
1200utc position N32 24.02 W45 54.35 with 97nm covered. To avoid another possible area of calms to the east that might form around Wednesday, I think I might head north for two days to give me a better chance of westerly winds later in the week.
I have just started reading 'Ice Bird' by David Lewis, a story of the first Single Handed voyage to Antarctica which Lindsay lent to me ages ago. I need all the inspiration and motivation possible to get through this next week for the 'downhill' stretch - it has to be 'downhill' at some point doesn't it?!?!
I managed two motoring sessions, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon, both of a few hours a piece. What can I say? I hate the noise and everything that motoring entails. OK yes, I'm going at almost twice the speed (~5kn) but it's such a chore and its so much more pleasant to ghost along under sail in the sunshine. I always said that my next boat probably would only have an outboard engine for getting into and out of marinas / anchorages.
I managed to find something to replace the broken sail slide, a piece of metal that I insulated with tape and attached to the luff with a piece of string, so I have full sail capability at least.
Culinary tale of the day - Sweet Popcorn. Nobody makes it, all preferring the salty stuff. Me having a sweet tooth, usually end up watching as it's consumed while I sit there starving - (Frey take note!)
Medium sized pan (mines none stick). Good dash of olive oil, a dash of Maple Syrup (Treacle or Honey might also work?) and some sugar. Heat over a slow heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Add popcorn seeds to barely cover the bottom of the pan and stir into the 'syrup' until all the seeds are well covered. Turn up the heat, put the pan lid on and start 'swirling' the pan by hand every few seconds. Soon the seeds should start popping , continue to heat and 'swirl' until the popping slows down (usually after a crescendo) and Voila! Sweet popcorn just like in the Cinema!
Not much to tell you about the day, it's been really relaxing with winds of about 7-9kn in which I sail at about 2-3kn. The evening was really eerie due to it almost being a new moon and the sea as flat as a lake. It's so dark that you can only barely make out a horizon, almost like you are surrounded by fog. We are just ghosting along under a full 360 degree star lit night sky, it's like being in an astrodome. The clouds have been but a few fluffy Cumulous all day, so there is very little risk of squalls tonight and it feels like I'm hanging out in my lounge reading on a summer eve. I slept like a baby throughout the night.
I couldn't quite understand why the cabin was so dark tonight, until I realised the VHF wasn't turned on. No correction, the VHF wont turn on! I checked that there is a voltage going in to the unit, and there is, so it looks like its actually fried. I'll take a closer look tomorrow in the daylight to make sure and use my handheld instead. My wind speed gauge has been acting a bit freaky as well, I thought it just needed recalibrating. It seems that there is a good possibility that I was either struck or affected by the previous night's electric storms. Argh! - Did I mention I hate lightning!
Friday 22nd May 2009
I woke up to find us still sailing slowly towards the Azores at a speed of around 3kn. At this rate I will be arriving at the same time as Flavio & Freya in Otahi who left a week behind me!
1200utc position is N29 54.22 W49 59.20 with 70nm covered.
I spent the day basically eating and resting. Lunch was onion, cheese and garlic omelette and I baked another loaf of bread in the afternoon, all very pleasant. Still not much in the way of winds and it looks like another depression is just forming to the east of my position. I really need to be going east to get on the right side of it, as it looks like it might turn quite nasty. Unfortunately, I can't make that point of sail without some south (~120 degrees, and hence kind of going backwards) and that's mentally killing me.
Once again I motored for a few hours when the wind went really light but generally sailed in the light airs at around 3kn all day.
In the afternoon I was amazed to see something 'waving' at me in the distance ahead. As I got closer, it turned into a 10ft pole connected to a float with a radar reflector on top that was 'anchored' to something underwater. I haven't checked the depth here but I am guessing its bloody deep! The position of this 'buoy' is N29 57.70 W49 51.87, its not lit so don't run into it if you are crossing at night!
Last night was absolutely pitch black, a new moon, very cloudy so no stars and no light to be seen anywhere. Except that is, the flashes of more electrical squalls that seem to be forming ahead of me in the distance as the depression starts to fragment and the whole area becomes unstable.
Saturday 23rd May 2009
I woke up to the sounds of flapping sails this morning around 0630utc with the wind almost none existent. There was no other option but get dressed and put the engine on. I motor sailed east until first light to be greeted by the biggest, meanest and scary looking electrical storm a few miles in front of me. I hate lightening so much that I considered 'hoving to' to let it pass as it seemed to be heading north and I had been motoring east (travelling right to left in front of me). However, this would have taken a good few hours judging by the size of it. I put on full oil skins including my trusty Dubarry boots as it was black cloud right down to sea level with torrential rain seen falling inside the system.
While turning on the motoring navigation lights etc I nearly 'shit myself' as the (previously dead) VHF radio suddenly burst into life at almost full blast (no squelch), the wind speed is accurate again as well and has been behaving itself all morning. Maybe I should rename Doris to Christine as she's obviously fixed herself!
I made a course slightly south of east (~100 degrees - motivated by fear) to find what looked to be the least threatening 'gap' through the wall of cloud in front of me. It took me two hours to clear it and make the other side into clear skies I don't mind admitting, I was 'crapping myself'! I could see forked lightning constantly touching down just a 'mile or so' to my left. It looks like my electronics are going to continue to live in the oven for the next few days and I think there will be worse squalls to come until I get a few hundred miles east of my current position, then it should be fair(er) winds and 'plain sailing' - I hope!
At 1000utc the wind had risen slightly and it was time for some breakfast and so off with the engine and back to sailing. Peanut Butter & Jam toast washed down with strong coffee to keep me awake. After removing the Sat phone from the oven, I received Otahi's second update. Position: N23.9792 W61.2126 - All fine and well!
My 1200utc position is N30 39.38 W48 43.73 with 80nm covered.
Since breakfast the winds have now got up to around 15kn and I am close hauled heading ~40-50T degrees. The wind should free later in the day and if so, I will be heading east as soon as possible. I also need to 'bank' some sleep due to getting up early this morning.
Sunday 24th May 2009
Well another Sunday at sea and its two weeks exactly since I left Antigua and that seems a long time ago. A pretty uneventful day yesterday except that I managed to sail all day without using the motor and even made some progress east as the wind freed up in the afternoon.
I managed to get loads of sleep all through the night and this morning I have finally been blessed with some tail winds. Although they are dying off (currently about 7kn) and I am making about 4kn of boat speed 'Wing N Wing' with the jib poled out on a heading of around 40T degrees.
1200utc position is N31 35.23 W47 32.03 with 96nm covered in the last 24 hours. Only 1009nm to go to reach landfall and I'll be glad when it only reads three figures instead of four!
This route is certainly more interesting than the east-west crossing with the unsettled weather and uncertainty of fair winds for much of the way across. There's no down wind sailing for weeks at a time! While the weather forecasts give a good impression of what's happening over a few hundred miles, it's difficult to predict what's 'around the corner' locally with it being so unsettled.
It also becomes very easy to get lazy and not change sail configurations etc to make the most of the conditions. To make as much progress as possible off the back of the squalls and micro systems means that this morning for example, I have had a poled out jib on both gybes and then a beam reach, all of which were in the space of two hours and going in a similar direction. You can bet I will be close hauled in the next few hours if the previous days are anything to go by.
Sure enough, the rest of the day was spent on a close reach through a rather lumpy sea, another day of 'crash bang wallop'!
It's been an exciting day as I have several little gems to report. Firstly, a 'fishermans' orange fender / buoy, which again, appeared to be anchored in position N29 57.70 W49 51.87. The pilot books don't recommend looking out for 'lobster pots' mid Atlantic do they?
I also saw another sailing boat in the later afternoon which vanished over the horizon heading north (compared to my north east) and if that wasn't exciting enough, as it got dark I was passed by a tanker about 2nm off my port side. It's been an eventful day I can tell you!
The night was rather uncomfortable, still close hauled and I had to put in the 3rd reef to make life bearable, only to then be almost becalmed about two hours later. I woke up in the early hours of the morning to the sound of 'voices', in a somewhat confused state. After frantically looking around the horizon with no sign of life, again the 'voice' came over the VHF radio. It
sounded Portuguese and I understood three of the words as 'small boat' and 'captain'. There was a position but I missed it or rather couldn't understand it. I waited for a repeat call but nothing came so I went back to bed.
Monday 25th May 2009
Another week at sea - Yay! Got up, shook out a reef which seemed to take all my strength, only to have to put it back in again an hour later! The grib files always dangle a carrot of fair winds just a hundred or so miles further and yet they always seem to fragment and vanish on me before I can reach them.
This morning is cold, overcast and everything is damp. I have to be honest, I am feeling quite tired now and the relentless slamming and banging of the boat beating to windward is 'doing my head in' The constant question 'am I pushing her to hard', it only takes one rigging component to break and its really 'Game Over' 100nm out in the Atlantic! I'd rather go slow and get there than lose the rig.
1200utc position N32 24.02 W45 54.35 with 97nm covered. To avoid another possible area of calms to the east that might form around Wednesday, I think I might head north for two days to give me a better chance of westerly winds later in the week.
I have just started reading 'Ice Bird' by David Lewis, a story of the first Single Handed voyage to Antarctica which Lindsay lent to me ages ago. I need all the inspiration and motivation possible to get through this next week for the 'downhill' stretch - it has to be 'downhill' at some point doesn't it?!?!
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