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Webster - Half way!



Wednesday 22nd May 2014 Position 35 46'N 47 00'W noon run 130nm

The wind was relatively quiet all night last night and was forecast to build again during the day from the SE veering South. The boat was creaming along on starboard tack at 7.5 knots on a course of 090M, nearly direct to destination. We saw a lobster pot drift past proudly displaying its marker flag, no. 81, a long way from home I imagine as I really doubt anyone would be dropping these things 900 miles from the coast in 2 miles of water.

David Smith on Easy Rider a 44 ft catamaran called us up this morning. We had passed close by him during the night and were now only a few miles ahead. It appears he had just run into a sleeping whale and come to a shuddering halt from 7 knots, a frightening prospect in anything other than a cat.

The good news is that today as around 1230 we passed the half way mark to Horta. Only some 895 miles to go! Its all downhill from here, or we hope so anyway.

You can tell we have been out here for over a week. I heard Neal call to Igor on his watch this morning to 'Come down, take your clothes off and help me wash up', I was contemplating nude domestic duties perhaps, including extreme ironing maybe to follow? Honestly, its not that sort of a boat!

So much for the no wind zone. Whenever we reach it the wind comes up. We have only done some 4 hours motoring to date and it is now blowing some 20 knots SE but at least we are roughly in the right direction.

Everyone seems to be spending off watch time sleeping. Neal reckoned that Dave will be suffering from bed sores by the end of this trip. That would make a very interesting entry onto the medical survey that we have been requested to complete after each leg, especially the question 'How could this injury be avoided?'

Spoke to Easy Rider again this evening. They are having a celebratory half way dinner of steak, broccoli etc washed down with a very nice red wine after Dark & Stormy sun downers. My crew were listening to this on deck with nothing more than Corned beef hash to look forward to which I had made at a 30 degree angle of heel and boat crashing about like being in a washing machine. I was sat on the floor with potatoe peeler and pan wedged against the saloon table. That's the difference with cat sailing I suppose. Vive la difference!

Everything is so damp at night here which makes down below quite slippery especially when we are pitching about. We have to be careful. It also makes getting out on watch more difficult.....tonight's 0100 shift I have found the most difficult yet so I am down below sending this.

Hi Ho........

Charlie

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