1200 Wednesday 3^rd to 1200 Thursday 4^th.

Well, we at least got day one of our weather forecast correct, in fact we were lucky. We thought we might collect some rain on day one.  As it happened, we saw it being dumped 6 miles back on Lagos, as we sailed away smiling on the trip in brilliant sunshine.

Before we left we fuelled up with everything we could carry (including all the new plastic 20l containers) and at 1215 Wednesday headed off sailing south west into very light SSE winds, allowing us to motor sail with 2,200 revs and make 6.5 knots.  Our course was 217M towards Las Palmas 650 miles away.

One hour out we found a ‘secret spot’ when we came across four ‘Dolphin Watch’ RIB’s from Lagos, all in what’s obviously the favoured location.  One dolphin even came over to visit us as we passed by the group.  Friendly little chappie – obviously the dolphin boats tempt them with tit bits but Sue would not let me try him with a bit of my vegemite on toast.  So if you’re ever in Lagos and want to visit dolphins on your own boat – you now know where to go.  Course 217M for 7 miles from Lagos.

And might be an idea to take some sardines.

Shortly afterwards we overtook another Brit registered yacht sailing along the same course.  Waves were exchanged, they too were motor sailing but going slower.

The seas had really flattened out from the previous days heavy SW’lies, so we simply chugged over the gently rolling swell enjoying the days sunshine and settling into the long haul routine. 

That routine is eat, drink tea daylight hours, beer and wine around evening meals and sunset, read books, laze, and sleep.  All tough stuff for hearty sailors.

High puffy clouds seemed to hang almost stationery in the sky – very relaxed.

Later that arvo we crossed the shipping lane which feed and exits the Med from the Atlantic.  It was busy – so best we were crossing this crowded traffic route in daylight hours.  The other yacht steadily dropped further and further behind, and was lost over the horizon by dusk.

Sunset that night was pretty impressive (yawn, aren’t they always) with lots of colours, and we were blessed when it was topped off with what’s named a  ‘green flash’.  You get this phenomena just as the sun finally drops off the end of the world.  The rays somehow break through a big wave or swell on the horizon – and for a slit second you can see what looks just like an illuminated emerald.  It only lasts a fraction of a second, and then the suns gone completely.  Be very hard to take a picture of it……....but honest, it happened.

That first night away saw us under a clear starlit sky, but until the moon arrived, it was spookily dark out there.  All the stars seemed to be on display  above us, and with no moon early on, the phosphorescence created by the bow wave and wash was really jumpin.  It looked like giant hand had painted our wake behind us in white fluorescent paint.  Did you know this was caused by the small micro-organisms and jelly fish getting mad when disturbed and generating electrical impulses?  We sure left a lot of cross microbes behind that night…….

There was a nip in the night air despite us heading further south, but guess we keep forgetting IT IS OCTOBER.  Found we needed long pants, snugs etc.  Even socks under me Crocs.  Not a good look. But it was dark.

We ran our normal watches from evening on.  Me off after supper, Sue taking my place midnight, Sue down at 0300 etc. I got bored as we were not under sail alone, so raided our cupboard full of books and picked up a really moving story.  I’d recommend it to anyone. ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ by Mark Haddon.  It’s a story told though the mouth of a 15 year old with Asperger’s Syndrome.  So good.  You can see why it won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award, but I still do not know how and author without this syndrome can put together a book which explains so much….

Using a cheapo but excellent LED ‘headlight’ now to read when in cockpit at night.  These new LED numbers were branded as AA’s and on sale in UK filling stations for only £3.99 when last there.  Brilliant (er – pun) compared with the halogen headlamp we have used before.  The LEDS of course last for ever, and consume a fraction of the current – so they stay brighter for much much longer.  If you are a cruiser and don’t have these – go find ‘em and a set of rechargable AA batteries - you'll not regret it.

Also fired up the SSB radio to play around and collected a stack of sailmail.  Used some of its other features for the first time, like ordering weather GRIB files and forecasts whilst underway offshore.  All very clever stuff and no one was more surprised than me when the button pushing all seemed to do the trick…...but it does make you wonder why they can’t produce a operations manual that actually is easy to read…….or do they just like employing dyslexic Japanese?

It was not all wine and books.  The headsail went in and out all night as we continued to motorsail southwest.  At times we gained from having the sails deployed, at times finding they were slowing us down.  The winds this day never got above F2 (6 knots) and were typically half that.  But with engine plodding plus a S current, we maintained 6+ knots of boat speed so were happy with that.

Dawn came around 0800.  Seas flatter still.  Like a gently rolling millpond without ducks.  A bit later went through a short lived bout of excitement as we saw some F3 winds from the ENE, allowing us to reach 7.5 knots at times (still motorsailing) – but it soon died back.  If you like the sun, it was a glorious morning.  Hot as, still some clouds to use as shade, and the light wind was cooling us off fine.  Lots of block being slapped around.

Found a SSB net calling itself ‘Westbound Net at 0900 on 8188 khz.  It is a few boats going the same way who club together daily to share weather and information.  Gave them my first hesitant call (me being somewhat a SSB virgin) and pleased as punch to actually hear them respond. 

They could not only hear me OK, but we were able to say hello to two boats we knew from Turkey (Vision and All the Colours) who were also taking part in the net.  Seems out weather was stretching from Gibraltar to the Canaries as most reported similar weather to us…….

So we sunbathed a bit more, and I cracked a second book.  We continued at same pace southwest with the engine still running.  By midday we were at 34 48N 10.32E, sippin beer to go with me book.

If you were 40 miles north of Casablanca midday Thursday, and could see 200 miles offshore – that’s precisely where you’d have seen us toasting the seas at midday.  Open ocean, nothing, zip, except more sea and sky as far as the eye can reach.  It is glorious, but it is also a shame about still not having any wind.

Total distance run in the 24 hours was 165.  That’s OK. 

If the GRIB files when they arrive manage to re-affirm our weather forecast from yesterday, tomorrow could see stronger winds piping in.  Would be nice.

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1200 Thursday 4^th to 1200 Friday 5^th.

Pretty uneventful so far and no favourable wind early on.  A few more heavy rain clouds hovering around and some flashes of lightening, but luckily no rain appears to be dropping anywhere close by.  Seas flatter still – swell almost gone. 

But have to say just requesting the GRIB weather file via sailmail has given my computer some constipation.  As the emails go via radio waves, the transfer rate is pretty slow. Plus the rolling around does not help hold onto the radio signals during the daytime, so after we do make contact and if we’ve a long email being sent or receipted, the system often times out midway.  It can get very frustrating.  Very.

Just looking at our plotter alongside me as the SSB tries once more to collect and receipt, and have to say it still awes me that we can be trying to contact people via email when we’re more that 100 miles off the African coast.  When you consider the radio signal powered by our batteries on board, has to go right across the Sahara to the sailmail station at Abu Tig in Egypt, or to the main EU one in Ostend, before it can be shuffled into the web where it continues it’s journey to the recipient.  Awesome.  That’s another good word. 

With the plotter scale minimised, it also makes you put this leg of our Atlantic trip into perspective.  Lagos to Las Palmas is - when seen on a chart – a pretty reasonable sail.  It’s like going from S.Florida to Dominica, or Glasgow to say Iceland.  Now, they sound to me like big journeys.  But no wonder the ARC people don’t ask for qualifications – just getting to the start line from a minimum of mainland Europe, is seen as qualification enough.

Anyway – beginning to dribble here.

GRIB files arrived by email. I’ve tried to import it to show you on the blog what one looks like – but the files appear incompatible – and they are not super impressive either.  When you first request a GRIB you select the area of the world you want, and it sends you a low resolution file simply showing wind directions in a graphical form for the requested area, for each of the next 24, 48 and 72 hours.  Kinda like someone else has interpreted the synoptic chart for you and encoded it into s simple map for electronic distribution.  That’s GRIB.

The GRIB re-inforced what we already predicted.   It also says light headwinds and easterlies on day one and two, equally light but building westerlies day three, and northerlies day four.  With 650 miles to cover overall and only 160 miles per day being travelled with the ligher than average winds - seems unlikely I’m going to make it to Las Palmas for the rugby Saturday arvo.  Bummer.

Transferred 60 litres from 3 containers into the main tank so it’s almost full again.  Still have 140 litres left in reserve – but hope we don’t have to use it all – and we won’t if some winds arrive.  Calculations show we averaged .68 litres per mile covered which is actually pretty good for a 46 footer carting the loads we’re carrying.  Unless we have to divert, or increase revs to cope with bigger seas or waves, we should be able to make it all the way under engine if required.  We're now (0200) as close to the Moroccan coast as we’re going to get this leg.  Cabo Hadid being some 130 miles off on our port side – not quite on same latitude as Madeira - but getting close. 

Loooking forward to breakfast – and the sailmail somehow getting its constipational relief – and maybe some wind.

0800 Friday saw me up and out to find continued southerly light headwinds.  0900 could not get Westbound Net on SSB due to low propagation (probably weather interference).  Big heavy rain looking type clouds currently running along our port side – but sunny out towards the seaward horizon.  Sea still flat as.

The wind began to veer from SE to S around 1000.  Currently waiting for it to fill in a bit more (still only F1) and swing further and might then just be able to sail with engine off!  That would make me a happy chappie.

Noon position at 32 32N 012 20W – 328 miles from Lagos.  Wind still not round far enough, or strong enough, to turn the engine off and still maintain a reasonable speed.  But we’ve still covered 166 miles in the last 24 hours – nearly half way.

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