Adina - Day 10 Go West!

Day 10 on Adina and we were finally south of the Verdes. The wind so frustratingly comes and goes and to be honest has made a mockery of our routing strategy. That's sailing and weather forecasts for you, we got it wrong and eat humble pie but we'll fight on.

4am the wind got up, the girls were on watch thinking these are our treasured trade winds, got excited, but needed to 'reef' (get rid of some sail). Unfortunately the furling mechanism which furls our genoa away is electric and failed. The manual override worked for a while then also failed! Heart rates did rise a tad as they do. We went through options for if the wind picked up and decided there was nothing to do but wait for daylight when we could see and assess properly.

The winds dropped and as dawn rose Neil, Lindsay and Tom worked together unwrapping the sail and dropped it on the deck (a good hour's job). Then the engineering A team of Susie and Gareth took over and opened the furling mechanism - the drive belt was in pieces. Never give up and after some brain storming we took a drive belt off a bilge pump and gingerly tried it. It worked a treat! It was a real example of team work - from imminent gloom we had recovered with everyone contributing. Bacon butties all round was our reward.

1pm and the daily SSB call. Ironically it's the fleet north who were meant to be in light winds who have now got NE winds. Skipper was seen to be stomping around shouting and waving his arms - perhaps a good thing there was no weather forecaster in sight.

But the mood swung again as the fishing rod went flying out. We hauled the catch in, tried to gaff it unsuccessfully, but still got it on deck by hand - a beautiful green, yellow and blue Dorado. Alas, with a hop, skip and a leap it was off the hook, Adina crew like England cricket fielders trying desperately to catch it but it slipped through our grasp and was back in the Atlantic pond.

Adina never gives up! Five minutes later another catch, something bigger. In it came but then the fishing line inexplicably decided to tangle with our long towable generator line. What a mess and another catch was off! Dorado - we have you marked and we will be back. Sashimi and sushi we will make of you.

Over sundowners of chorizo and olives, we laughed at it all. What a day! Request is in tomorrow for spinnaker flying, sunshine and a landed Dorado.

Yesterdays quiz as to who made there own hand held bench vice and has it onboard is the multi talented Susie Plume! Today's question who has a much loved Mallard duck named Harold onboard?

This is the Adina crew singing Pet Shop Boys "Go West, there's sunshine there, Go West, we're heading to St.Lu-cia, Go West, we'll find some rum to share, Go West that's if the winds stay fair..."