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Well done Geoff
What determination to keep going and also when the weather
conspired to give you a slow finish in site of that beer and
shower.
I like the sail past a memorable finish.
I am sure you are now enjoying the tremendous hospitality of
the Newport Yacht Club.
Mike
Flamingo Lady
Flamingo Lady is making good progress to the
Azores
Lat: 41 47.90
Lon: 55 43.62
6th July.
As Flamingo Lady progressed slowly downwind towards the Azores, the
peace and quiet of the afternoons light airs, was broken by a low flying
aircraft. Shortly after there was a VHF call from the rescue plane 310
to the vessel Ocean Adventure, but no answer was heard. A while after
that, the Ocean Adventure radioed the aircraft and asked why a parachute
had been dropped.
43 39.82 N 60.37.087 W
At exactly 12:00 UT, 09:00 local time Sunday 5 July
09 Flamingo Lady slipped the mooring at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht
Squadron
I've finished. The last days up to the finish
and after I havent thought about updating the blog and
position.
I finished Sunday lunchtime EDS having spent 27 days 4 hours 30 minutes
at sea.
Since the wind began to drop after dark last night
it has just disappeared. I have made little practical advance over the ground in
the last 12 hours and the forecast is for more of the same except the wind is to
go round in circles to make lift interesting.
It was a frustrating night, the wind dropped just after midnight UT, it
had been lessening for a few hours before that but I had been able to
keep up the pace. It dropped to less than 7 knots and I have to use the
pilot not the wind vane to steer, for a while we kept going at a slow
pace 2-3 knots with only a small amount of swell. However eventually
the wind and progress disappeared.
It was a totally clear night, one of few and I could watch the moon rise
and the planets appear. I rarely have such a good view of the night
horizon whilst studying the stars.
Fantastic achievement, well done to you and your boat.
Buy you a beer soon
Mike / Flamingo Lady
Today has been another day of averages, average sunshine and average
wind, its amazing how much progress can be made with average wind force
instead of extremes. Its been very enjoyable, but there is a patch of
calm on its way and I do not think I can avoid it. Maybe there will be
a little more wind than predicted, rather than a little less as has
happened with every other calm patch I have encountered.
As the galley food cupboard only had the items I have not eaten in the
past 24 days, I decide it was time to restock from the forward locker.
Yesterday I was envious of Christian's blog where he was talking about
his Spinnaker. My shore crew forwards blogs that I might find
interesting to me. Flamingo Lady does not carry a spinnaker and
normally this would not be a problem. However yesterday with 10=12 kts
apparent and wanting to go dead down wind it would have been ideal
conditions. The grip files showed constant wind speed and direction for
the day and more, so it was perfect.
Its another day of reaching down wind, difficult to keep a good course,
varying between 120 and 160 apparent, as usual its the gusting and waves
that gives the trouble. Wind peaking at present at 27 kts.
I think the wind will move north this afternoon and then the other gybe
should be close to the next waypoint 323 miles away, but then the wind
will be going light - cannot have everything.
