18.00. Nice evening. Sunset gets later as the latitude gets higher. Much cooler now, still teeshirt off during the day but not the blazing furnace sun that is the tropics. Just put a reef in the main and rolled up a bit of the foresail.Not that there´s that much wind, not even high teens in the gusts. After so long without wind the boat felt a little like a horse in spring getting a first gallop in a field after a winter inside, racing ahead. But chill, horsey, let´s not break anything. Long way to go yet.
Music for airports by Brian Eno playing: Endless sea around the boat. Slow sunset. Cool breeze. Hard to imagine everything else. Cars, cities, weekly cycles of work and weekend. Laptop says it´s thursday today. That means nothing.
Maybe soup for supper later on. There´s one sweet potato left, should use it up.
25th June 2010 07.15. 37deg32N 56deg 20W. Just hardend up a bit into the wind to head more to the west, about 080deg. Nice wind, boat rollying badly overnight but calmed down a bit now with the wind more side on to the sails. Almost chilly last night, nearly needed more than a teeshirt at dawn. Do I own such a thing? Must be in a locker somewhere.
11.00. Breeze getting up a bit. Hove to and derigged the pole. Flying along at over 7kt over the ground now with a southerly wind. Go, girl, go. GPS just shown 1500 miles just leaving Antigua.
12.00 Days run 135Nm. Not bad but could do better. Ground speed up near 8kts now. Wind about 20kts, just took 2nd reef in main and rolled bit more of the jib in. The old girl does like a bit of wind in her sails even if the skipper does get knocked about a bit. Might be glad I fitted that 3rd reefing line in Grenada. Nice to know it´s there anyway. Still a rolly boat much happier with 2nd reef. Should have done it a few hours ago. Sorry boat, must try harder!
26th June 2010 10.15 37deg39N 52deg 56W 23deg c outside.
Wind still up. Gusting mid 20´s. 2 reefs in main and jib rolled in all the way safe and sound. Sailing nice just with main and staysail. Snug strong rig. Waves, tyhe begger ones maybe 10´ Some spray and top of an occasional wave makes it into the cockpit but not much. Boat still rolly with waves coming in at 45 deg to starboard of the stern. Rocky rolly. But very quiet down below. Occasionall thhhummpp as a wave hits the side of the boat and lands in the cockpit, then a little shake and the boat carries on. Down below, classical music and a crime thriller. Seems like a sunday for some reason. Sailing fast, though. 6 to 7kts. Worth a bit of rolling for that. Boats seems dry, little leak in main cabin hatch and some coming in the anchor hawse pipe but minor. Both will be sorted in the next refit being planned. Along with so many other things. New port holes looking forward so I don´t have to leave the cabin for a look around. New hard sprayhood.
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