05’58.1N 025’46.6W course 202′ speed 6,5kn
We have come to the place where warm winds are made. The surface water is 29,3 degrees and the air temp around 30,3 in the shade. Any wind here, is warm. And most of the day we had some pretty nice wind. Averaging on 5,2 knots, we made good towards our goal and kept the topsails full, with what looked like a small breeze on the surface. In the afternoon big Cumulus clouds turned CumuloNimbus and showers started to appear all around us. Most of then making the wind veer and decrease. Often a half hour after they had passed, the wind would increase again to a nice breeze and we just kept on sailing. Until just before watch handover midnight, we had to start the engine as we were doing 3 knots and could not stop some of the violent rolls that shook topsails.
Now under engine the wind is still helping a little, we kept the topsails up, because our weather report says, tomorrow noon, we should have good winds again.. Of course we know there is a 05′ in our Latitude, so weather reports don’t really count any more.. This is also where the Doldrums start, and possibly tomorrow and the day after we will be completely becalmed. If so, we will at least get our swim stop!
During the evening, just after dinner, we had some showers move in, with rain to our port side, our windward side. The whole crew was on deck after dinner and we all stayed a little longer to see if the cloud would reach us, and give us some refreshing rain. My soap bar is never far away. Because there is just nothing so amazing as taking a shower in tropical rain! But alas, the cloud dissipated and not a single drop was felt.
The lightning on the horizon has also been absent. That is a relief really. So for now, we have our hatches open on top, with wind catchers sending down warm winds, and wash drying on the safety nets like they are there for nothing else then being a clothing line to dry your wash on.
It was also Jannette’s and Gijs’s birthday yesterday. So a short call home with the satellite phone told us that the weather back home is very different then it is here! Wet snow, and cold days. Joel was saying that Alice wrote in an email that even Cornwall had snow! That must have been some weather! We can not imagine the cold air right now! Like you could probably not imagine the warm air I feel right now in the aft cabin. The engine is on, also warm, but from our skylight on the roof a small breeze is falling down on my finger. It feels like a heavy warm breath really. It smells of little as the ocean is the only thing around. The warm breeze soon mixes with the air already in the aft cabin and I can feel the circulation, its just all the same warm temperature now. But as long as we have air moving through the ship, we are all very happy with our current circumstances.
The picture of the day was won by Joel. Crew at the ready for culmination. Although Latitude was ok for some, in longitude we are still missing the island. At 38 miles off… we can not say we will see the peaks of Pitcairn appear on the horizon..
As Polaris is disappearing into the haze behind us, our search for the Southern Cross has started. Unfortunately for us, in front we have some clouds and hazy sky, that obscure the lower hanging stars.. maybe tomorrow she will appear and show us the way South. Our companion for another 3866 miles.
All is well on board,
Jet
