1030 - Sunday Feb 5th.
We are motoring - 1400 rpm seems to give the most efficient fuel consumption
to distance ratio - about 1 litre per mile, any faster and we are just
burning diesel unnecessarily.
We are motoring because for the last few days we have been properly in the
doldrums, and as predicted we have had every kind of weather, but mainly for
now it is light north westerly.
No sooner have we set up parasols on the aft deck to avoid sunburn while in
the gym than a gale of wind and rain comes to laugh at us.
The nights are balmy, sometimes you see the clouds building rapidly, signals
of the localised lightning shows to come; more times it is just clear sky
under bright moonlight (tonight's is full) with just planets mainly to the
west and bright stars overhead.
Another day or two and maybe we will start to feel the NE Trades properly -
we have been holding to the E of the direct course in the hope that the new
Trades will give us a starboard fetch to the Cape Verdes eventually.
This period has given the skipper a chance to sort a few above deck items
including a major patch up to the leech of the genoa as the miles had
started to show. Also because we had had to cut our long kedge anchor warp
back in Ascension (it had got caught under something and it was the only
option), James did a beautiful octoplait long spice in the middle and while
it is somewhat shorter now it certainly is ready for action whenever needed
again.
So over halfway already - last night's dinner was homemade brioche burgers,
onion rings and fries (with a healthy salad!) topped off with coconut milk
homemade ice cream.
TC
We are motoring - 1400 rpm seems to give the most efficient fuel consumption
to distance ratio - about 1 litre per mile, any faster and we are just
burning diesel unnecessarily.
We are motoring because for the last few days we have been properly in the
doldrums, and as predicted we have had every kind of weather, but mainly for
now it is light north westerly.
No sooner have we set up parasols on the aft deck to avoid sunburn while in
the gym than a gale of wind and rain comes to laugh at us.
The nights are balmy, sometimes you see the clouds building rapidly, signals
of the localised lightning shows to come; more times it is just clear sky
under bright moonlight (tonight's is full) with just planets mainly to the
west and bright stars overhead.
Another day or two and maybe we will start to feel the NE Trades properly -
we have been holding to the E of the direct course in the hope that the new
Trades will give us a starboard fetch to the Cape Verdes eventually.
This period has given the skipper a chance to sort a few above deck items
including a major patch up to the leech of the genoa as the miles had
started to show. Also because we had had to cut our long kedge anchor warp
back in Ascension (it had got caught under something and it was the only
option), James did a beautiful octoplait long spice in the middle and while
it is somewhat shorter now it certainly is ready for action whenever needed
again.
So over halfway already - last night's dinner was homemade brioche burgers,
onion rings and fries (with a healthy salad!) topped off with coconut milk
homemade ice cream.
TC
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