38’43.9N 010’49.7W course 184’ speed 6,2
What a difference a day makes. It is not the first time I write this sentence, and probably not the last. But not 24 hours ago we were standing in the rain, soaking wet and feeling like nothing would be dry ever again. And then today! SUNSHINE!
Although we are making our way south under engine, the first rays of sun and actual warmth were very welcoming. The sundeck was open this afternoon and life looked quite different all of a sudden. Wet weather gear was hung out, boots were standing in the sun and sunscreen was handed around.
Even better were the first flip flops and the first shorts that came out on deck.
Life on board has become more social now that we are in a 4 hours on and 8 hours off watch. During this afternoon almost everybody was out on deck, talking of travel, the world, shipping and many other topics. The beer garden (that we have not seen since our voyage from Easter Island to Tahiti) was opened for an hours or so and life just looked very good!
It is something truly magical about ocean sailing, crossing from one climate into another. Gradually surroundings change. The sun in the afternoon is much higher than when we left Ullapool. The temperature has gone up a degree per 2 days it seems and the stars are changing place in the sky every night. We sailed out of Autumn into end of summer again.
The weather report looks more hopeful than it has looked in the past few days. We have 24 hours of no wind ahead of us. If we can keep our speed up, we should pick up a North Easterly breeze just South of the tip of Portugal on the 14th. And hopefully the weather report is right and we will get blown to Tenerife all the way. We may need some topsails to make up for time lost.. But this team is getting together perfectly. Sail handling is going smoothly and fast, muscle pains are over, hands are getting leathery and hardened and rope pulling goes in unison! Looking forward to those sail changes the coming days!
All is well, Jet
