Seeking entertainment!

Evening all!! Well it is 1910 local time and we currently have about 10 knots of wind from the south, so I am sailing just slightly off the wind trying to get distance in south to try and make the most of the gulf stream that sits below me. I haven’t been able to head south until now as the massive area of no wind that I had for the first couple of days was sitting directly over the gulf stream so I have hedged my bets a little and stayed a little further north. Better wind but n so good for the currents. It would be a shame to cone all this way and no reap the benefits of this phenomenon that is the cause of the mild wet conditions we have in the UK.

We are currently doing 6 to 7 knots, which isn’t bad at all in 10 knots of breeze, if I am going to arrive as scheduled in the Azores I have to average about this speed for the rest of the trip. Looking at the forecast this isn’t going to be easy, it certainly isn’t impossible but it doesn’t look like it is going to be the 15 knots of downwind warm spinnaker sailing that I signed up for. Having said that I cannot complain, the weather hasn’t been bad, the air temperature is in the 20's and my oilies haven’t had an outing yet, and it has been flip flop conditions all day and night, Long may this continue!

I am not sure single-handed cruising is for me. I imagine its similar to a formula on driver, being asked to drive a caravan in a traffic jam, I am notoriously hopeless at doing nothing, In my younger years I used to be very good at it, but recently with my own projects success being directly linked to the effort I put in, life for me has been non stop, There were many days in the lead up to this project where I longed for a day where I could just do nothing. Well those days are here, and I don’t know what to do with myself. I have read a book, listened to an audio book, sent lots of emails, sung very loudly on the bow to some of my favourite songs, eaten, slept - lots and I am only on day 3!!

Being back no the boat though is reassuringly familiar and not being in race conditions means the stress levels are dramatically reduced. I even had a massive dilemma this morning, where the conditions were perfect for putting up my big spinnaker, but it is now a fairly integral part of my bed that I have made down below. Do you keep it as your bed, or hoist it for increased speed. Having this option is I have to say a welcome change after 3 weeks of sleeping on the floor!! You will be glad to hear that I solved the problem diplomatically - the spinnaker went up when it got light!!

Today i got out my weather forecasting book.. I should try and learn something whilst I am out here... lots of people use this time to learn a language or an instrument, I really wish i had bought my guitar. Especially seeing as there is no=one here to laugh at my poor playing!

So that is about it... the sun is just setting and I can just see the last few glimpses of it setting behind the clouds of a front which has settled in behind me! it is strange having the sun setting behind me instead of in front of me. I got very use to the sun pouring in through my hatchway as it rose on the way over.

Anyway sorry there is not much to report... if anyone comes up with any ideas of home to entertain myself then do let me know... and yes you can tell Rob Craigie (fellow competitor) that I have already painted my toenails!!
1580 miles to go and position 40 56N 62 55W

Sleep well or in the case of my friends at home, enjoy the cocktails at graze... I’ll be there just as soon as I can!!!

H xx

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