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Webster - Final night at sea



Thursday 12th June 2014 Noon position 37 43'N 12 49'W DTD 201nm

Welcome to the last blog written at night on this North Atlantic circuit as we shall hopefully be in Lagos tomorrow afternoon sometime. I have fairly mixed emotions about it but that may be because I made Thai chicken curry this evening for dinner and ate quite a lot of it only then to try to get some sleep in the forepeak, more akin to a tumble drier than a bunk!

The forecast wind did come in and we have been sailing direct to destination in N/NE winds of up to 25 knots, gusting more and seas that built to around 4 metres or so, a bit rough and beam on. I came on deck this morning at 0600, not because it was the start of my watch with Igor but because I looked at my watch and thought it 0700.......oh dear. The sun soon came out and revealed absolutely sparkling conditions, a beautiful day for sailing. The boat was creaming along at 8+ knots, great.

Bacon sandwiches for breakfast courtesy of Neal. I was steering and Igor took the wheel back kindly to allow me to eat it having only ten minutes or so before relinquished it to me. Trouble is getting it back again! He enjoys it so much; as I have said before I should rename the auto pilot 'Igor'.

By midday the wind and seas had been building steadily and we had now two reefs in the main and one in the jib, in an uncomfortable beam on sea. At 1230 Dave who was helming at the time shouted something and flung the helm over - it was a whale floundering about just under/on the surface directly in our path waving its fins in the air. It was spouting what to us looked like blood or it was otherwise cleaning its tubes but at 9 knots it would have made a pretty mess of our keel, should we still have had one! It may have been injured but we passed it by at about 5 metres, too close for comfort.

After the SSB radio net for which I was duty controller today I stuck my head above decks to see how windy it had become and soon got my answer as my hat blew off and floated away. Not the time nor place to practice HOB drills, Hat Over Board so had to kiss that one goodbye. Later on Neal, who at various time of the day can be found kneeling at the aft of the boat, I thought initially praying for deliverance but turned out to be smoking a roll up, got a big wave over his head and looked like drowned rat. You really should give it up Mate, its not good for your health - you could have drowned!


We sail on this evening into the night at full chat with two reefs still in the main a one again in the jib, rolling along in the waves under a full moon with not a single cloud in the sky. It is almost like daylight with the stars all shining as well. As we approach the shipping lanes we are noticing a lot more traffic around us especially on the AIS which is really useful. However, for some reason as we put on the nav lights this evening all the targets in front of us mysteriously disappeared whilst those behind us were still visible on the plotter. We obviously can't rely on it so we are extra vigilant.

Only 100 miles to go to Cap Sao Vincente, Cape Trafalgar, where we shall dip our ensign (whats left of it anyway) in honour of Nelson, then it will be only 15 miles to Lagos which we may reach during the afternoon. Then, so I am informed, we are out on the town in big style - well deserved too.

Hi Ho!

Charlie

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