Amokura - Log Day 1 - Settling in

Hello from Amokura, a 48ft Wauquiez monohull, skippered by Nic, crewed by Vicky, Mark and, myself, Liz, the only Atlantic Virgin on board, the others having crossed 5 times between them.
I came aboard last Thursday, fresh from a busy wind-down at work and a period of adjustment was needed to settle on into boating life and the reality of the trip ahead. It was a bit like being the last guest to a party where everyone knows one another already.
The start line was hot and busy, and a slight anticlimax. We had hung back to avoid the crush at the start and then the wind died so we crept over at 1314 doing about 1 kt! A good atmosphere though, with music playing and spectators on the dock waving, and the excitement of being snapped in our crew shirts for our official leaving picture!
As the afternoon progressed we headed offshore to find a more consistent breeze and by 1900, as the sun set when we began our watch system, Amokura was settled with her downwind rig of poled out genoa and was happily averaging 7-8 kts touching in excess of 9 surfing down the waves. Exhilarating!
We watched the lights of Gran Canaria slowly recede and gradually started to adjust to our shipboard routine. The night passed uneventfully, we saw a few of the fleet sailing close to us, and listened with interest to radio dialogue between a cargo ship approaching from the south and another participant. Both wanted the other to alter course. Neirher side sounded keen to comply and Rules of the Road were quoted. The situation resolved itself but not without the pointed gestures of a large searchlight being shone and a blast of the horn from the larger vessel. She would no doubt have a busy couple of hours ahead of her with the rest of the fleet approaching!
As for me, I am still getting used to the rolling though, having spent the last 12 months sailing a catamaran - a very different motion. Despite this I am loving being back on board a monohull and in such great weather, feeling very lucky to be here! 

Miles logged in the first 24 hrs - 160

Signing off...

Liz Brigstocke



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