22nd July 2010 03.30.
Wind died quickly about 10pm. Now ghosting along at just over 1kn. Even at these low speeds fairy dust phosphorescence streaming out behind the rudder. Quiet up on deck but every slat of the sails gets amplified below into a nerve wrenching bang and clatter. Sea strangely noisy too although very calm, almost sounds like a river. But we´re pointing roughly right, about 345deg, towards Greenland, good enough for now.
05.00 Black night outside, there is a bit of moon somewhere but hidden behind the clouds. I just went for a look outside and there was the familiar sharp gasp of dolphins surfacing. Dolphins in phosphorescence, what a sight! Each one a cloak of sparkling points of light leaving a fading pale tunnel in the water behind them as they pass under the boat. You can´t see the dolphins, too dark, just this glistening dolphin shaped moving piece of light. Incredible. Some glittering friends on a dark lonely night far out at sea.
13.00 Running goosewinged now. Due north at about 4kn. Days run 62Nm, not great but speed right down to a crawl overnight. Nice light breeze from south now, very little rolling. Pointing towards Iceland. Which is just about right for now, wind might veer round to SW overnight and strengthen a little, taking us a bit more to the east. All good. Shoal of little fish round the boat. Wonder if that´s what the dolphins were after.
Must be time for a siesta by now.
22.25. Back into the routine of weatherfaxes. Already the gribs downloaded in Flores are wrong. High building east of me, but still some wind. Heading northish at the moment, with a little good fortune I´ll get far enough north of the high to keep these light winds. Only doing about 3kn so no records will be broken just yet but at least the boats moving in pretty much the right direction.
23rd July. 10.00 41deg14N 30deg 30 W Day 3. 137 Nm so far. Lots to go.
Wind died about 05.30, that bang bang boat shaking nerve wracking sail slatting horribleness was too much so 3 reefs in the main again and everything pulled in tight. But now.... for the first time the spinikker is up! And pulling. We may be pointing towards Greenland again but at 4Kn!! In only about 5kn of apparent wind. Whoopydoo! Not too bad to put up, hope down is as easy.
12.00 Days run 84Nm. Not great but fine. Sailing due north now in light wind with spinikker up, lookin good! High pressure chasing us but might just keep out of it´s clutches. With a little luck from the gods of wind.
No comments:
Post a Comment