So we have got through the first night.
Relatively steady wind, 15-20Kts true from the North means that with poled out Genoa and goose-winged main we are able to fly along at 6-9kts depending on just how strong the wind is. The first part of the night was clear with lovely stars and I had
a play with my new sky map app and impressed James and Simon with my knowledge of the heavens.
Later on it clouded over and Simon even got rained on at about 0200 which did not impress him much! All around us were the lights of the rest of the fleet and without the wonders of AIS it would have been a stressful night trying to work out who was on
collision course with a hand bearing compass. How I love technology when it works.
As dawn broke…I missed it! Finally falling into a deep sleep when I should have been waking up to cook breakfast. Simon manfully took over and rustled up some of the finest scrambled eggs I have had in a while (and those of you who know me will understand
that is praise indeed. I am something of a connoisseur of scrambled eggs!). Coffee arrived a little later and the day began. I should say that we had a major disaster, and a minor miracle yesterday before leaving Las Palmas, perhaps our most serious bit
of gear failure. James, volunteering to rinse out the coffee pot with the hose, managed to unscrew and drop the plunger into the marina. Woe was me! Potentially no ‘real’ coffee for a month. But then the miracle…Simon, walking back from the shower bumped
into our near neighbour Patrick and in passing told of our troubles. Patrick revealed that they had had similar problems in that they had smashed the glass part of their cafetière but still had the stainless plunger…and yes folks, by amazing chance it fitted
perfectly into our stainless pot. I was one happy man.
So now we are flying along at about 8.5 kts. The motion is fine, with the occasional surf down the bigger waves. The high point so far, Simon’s egg aside, has been seeing my first ever flying fish. I have read about these in almost every book about ocean
adventure I have ever read, so seeing them skimming the waves is a thrill. Beautiful. James says they make rotten eating, but if we do get some stranded on the deck overnight I am definitely going to try one for breakfast. Joshua Slockum, and Miles Smeeton,
to name but two, cant all be wrong. Hopefully we will see so watch this space.
So far this is just wonderful!
Second night, second day…
First of all I must congratulate my skipper’s wife Jane for her complete and thorough meal bible. Despite not coming on the trip she has imagined every single meal, prepared recipe sheets for them, and from those made the shopping list which we followed
to the letter in the Hypermarket. As a result we are eating like kings despite the three chefs lack of culinary skills. Thank you Jane and we must cook for you when we all meet in Granada! I can also report for your ears only, that James has been religious
in his use of his life jacket, and that we are now a smoke free boat!
The second night was quite blustery with gusts up to 28kts and the occasional drizzle shower. These showers are really notable for the way that the wind suddenly increases on the leading edge, lasts just a few minutes then slowly dies away again as
the cloud blows over. We are getting expert at dropping in the second reef, and then half an hour later letting it out again. As a result we can now only see four boats on the AIS and one in the flesh. Blue Pearl has been with us now within half a mile
for over six hours. Nice to have someone to look at and race with. I was lucky enough to have been on watch when the moon rose in brief clear spell. I was somewhat surprised to see it lying on its back, something I have never seen before in European waters.
This morning I was also on duty for sunrise, which was briefly lovely, but then another rain cloud came over with gusts up to 30 kts. Highest boat speed recorded so far 11.4kts.
Finally about 1100 am the clouds disappeared (Simon says out of spite for the fact that he still had his waterproof jacket on) and we are now sailing in what I have termed perfect “Montague Dawson weather” for those with an interest in 20th century marine
art, this is what he is famous for.
It really is like that, and to try to prove it here is one I took earlier of James and Simon having a horrible time!
Just in case it does not look like it; We are roaring along at 8.5 kts with one reef in the main and about half the Genoa poled out! Steady as she goes...Cape Verde here we come.