Position @ 1200 UTC
36⁰ 10.95 N 40⁰ 02.96 W
Nautical Miles traveled in last 24 hrs:- 144
It was a good job we were set up correctly for the night because under the circumstances we actually had a reasonably comfortable one. We were charging along around 6 – 61/2 knots under furled staysail and a reefed main. Each of us on watch caught a number of waves as they broke over the side and on one occasiuon we must have shipped about 3 inches in the cockpit, still with good clear cockpit drains, no problem. At one stage we were overtaken by a huge tanker, in fact the tanker changed course to give us more room, very kind of him, thank you captain.
Wet and miserable morning so cheered ourselves up with a cooked breakfast, Sausage, beans and scrambled eggs. I tried to persuade everybody to have kippers for breakfast but I was the only one who wanted them, can’t think why! In spite of this contin4ed rocking and rolling, rain and water over the side, not to mention dampness within the boat as we cannot open any hatches to get fresh air in, we are all in good spirits with plenty of humour. 557 miles still to go, hopefully we will get a respite from this weather before we arrive.
Being tthe weekend we were going to have our cocktail party but I think that will be put on the back boiler for now though Bond will be in order.
1430hrs and the wind suddenly changed direction from being a southerly to a westerly; “just like that”! The forecasters had been promising us a westerly for a few day and here itwas at last. So wemoved the pole accrosst the starboard, poledout the jiband hey presto, Where had the wind gone to.It just stopped, unbelievable! so thyere we ware having fought most of th uncomfortable elements one minute to bobing about the next.On went the engine!
Anyway we managed to enjoy Bond, “For Your Eyes Only” onlythe “C” in BBC stood for Canapes. By the time we eat them, it was neither lunch or evening meal, but it satisfied everybodys hunger!
After Bond nothing mujch happened, Andrew and I went for 40 winks, Paddy cleared up and Chris was on Watch. I took over at 2100 hrs again zero wind and running on engine. Andrew came upfor his waqtch at Midnight just as we went under the 500 milke mark; all down hill now!!!!