Time Bandit Blog
32 55.9N 61 55.0W
Thirty five boats made the start line yesterday... well 34 actually, I started on the wrong red bouy 200 yards behind everyone else and we then made their way out of Bermuda through the town cut. Squeezing 15 boats through the cut which is about 50 feet wide was interesting especially when the wind died. I think everyone ended up motoring through but it made a fine spectacle as we all headed into the the wild blue yonder.
Except while it was blue, it wasn't wild. The wind at first was a gentle 10 knots but that died away in the evening to zip and many resorted to the engine. Fortunately, the wind filled in about 23:00 rising to a steady 20+ knots and we had an all night 8 knot thrash on a fetch heading east for Azores.
Most, well actually everyone except us has opted for a north route heading up to catch the depressions coming off the USA and avoiding the Azores high. We're keeping further south as the northerly depression is forecast to bring variable and head winds. Our plan is therefore to keep along 32 - 33N until the weekend by which time we'll be up to about 35N and can then decide whether to go below or over the Azores high - if it's there. If you can get online to www.worldcruising.com and look for the ARC Europe fleet viewer you will be able to follow the tracks of the boats and see how we're progressing.
This will be a different trip from the one out here as it's largely up hill all the way. Instead of shorts and T shirts at night its already fleece jackets and oilies. Still.... beats working!
About 06:00 with a loud bang our genoa sheet parted. We were going great guns but probably too much sail for the gusts and the sheets were probably too old for the conditions. Stupidly, I'd tried to change the sheets to a new set I had but as we ran out of time and it got forgotten in the last minute rush for the start. Anyway, there's nothing like rushing around the deck in yer Y Fronts to wake you up while trying to remember if the rabbit goes up the hole before going round the tree or vice versa while hanging on by your toes tying a bowline in the genoa with the ocean crashing past at 7 knots beneath you and spray flying.
Our deck head leaks are back so we've a soggy port bunk and drips on the chart table. Time to slap around some sealant!
Right now we have about 16 knots, blue skies and cruising with one reef at 7.5 knots. I shouldn't say this but, if we can keep this up we'll be in Horta in 10 days. (Guaranteed the wind will now die).
Lunchtime now so off for grub then a kip.
S&A