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Exody - May 12th: Gunning and Ghosting, Chill in the Air



It is 21.00 and the last of the sunset has not long disappeared, the moon now bright, the skies clear and the seas flat. Heard this before? Just 70 miles out from Bermuda, we are ghosting along at around four knots with the light south easterly breeze. Although progress is slow and we want to optimise our very short three night stopover in Bermuda, it seems a shame to 'gun' the engine and spoil the magical peace. We are feeling chilled having dug out and recharged our old ipods to deliver sweet music over dinner of Frittata!

At the 09.00 daily radio net which Exody hosted this morning, we reported 20.5 hours motoring out of the previous 24, but the wind has since picked up allowing us to sail off and on today. Once again at daybreak, we had three boats in sight, Zython, Here & Now and Halcyon VIII. All have since motor sailed over the horizon. Relentless has just passed us and Dexter is coming up. Our day's run at noon was 148 miles.

All day long we have been hearing the very English sounding Bermuda Radio calling up the approaching yachts of the fleet ahead of us- they apparently pick us up and tag us on radar from at least 25 miles out - and then call us if we do not call them! Must be a very high mast on that low island and a powerful signal for us to have heard them on VHF from 100 miles! It will be our turn tomorrow. We have had another quiet day of industry on board, sorting and cleaning our small space. Laptops out on the table, emailing away via the many more available shore radio stations in this part of the world.

Although cabin temperature is still 25 degrees, there is a definite chill in the air now we are nearly as far from the equator as we were in South Africa. It is a pleasure to enjoy the progressively longer days and shorter nights with noticeably prolonged sunrises and sunsets. Just a small hint of the contrasts before us as we head north potentially as far as the Arctic Circle north of Iceland en route home to Scotland.

Peter (Skipper)


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