Day 4
This is turning out to be a fascinating passage. First we had to avoid a thundery trough and then came the trying business of getting through it to more stable winds the other side . Next came 24 hours of light airs beating , employing every trick of trim and twist and balance to keep moving . This was pretty relaxing ,as once set up the boat sails itself and we are well rested in preparation for the windy stage which is nearly apon us. A high is developing to the North and squashing the isobars together , but hopefully the system will travel South and meet us going North so that we should fairly soon reach the nice lighter bits in the middle . I’m expecting 24-36 hours of fairly heavy beating ( 25 knots +/- ?) and if it all gets too much we will just heave to and wait for it to pass over us.
After that we have to transit the calm bit in the middle of the ridge to find the Westerly winds on the other side . These should take us to Bermuda – or if they dont , onwards to the Azores.
The ocean has done its usual job of swallowing all the other boats we set out with. Most are 20-30 miles astern and to lee , but being bigger and heavier may well overtake us when the going gets rough. We have had up to a knot of foul tide up to now , but it has turned fair just in time to help increase the seas when it blows – but at least it is now going our way. Lynda has started on the last 4 Patrick O’Brian books and so we read companiably inside our little boat during the day and snore companiably at night. It was actually cool last night , a concept that I am struggling to remember , but the midday sun is as hot as ever. Other little signs of our progress are that dusk is a whole hour later already and the water temperature has dropped by another degree.
Wind NE 12 knots, noon position 23.47N 64.7W 24 hour run (remarkable given the conditions )120 NM Sea smooth. All well.