There she BLOWS!

The Chart above shows the low weather system currently set to come through on Monday afternoon, Infanta is running to get on the SE side of this system where the winds will be favourable and they will avoid the worst of the weather.

Back on Track

42*05’N 30*30’W

So we set off south again in really horrible wet grey conditions in this easterly wind., taking it in turns to get drenched at the wheel by the rain and sea. At 2100 as the sun went down, Alastair could see some impoved sky ahead somewhere. I took over at 2100 from Douglas and the wind had just started tmoderating a bit. By 2230, the wind had died down enought to shake the reef out of the yankee. Within an hour, we had to start the engine to keep a reasnable speed going. At 0000 there was no wind at all, and I furled the yankee and we chugged along, now in sporadic moonight with the mizzen and staysail sheetd in tightly to help stop her rolling. At about 0200, I saw the wind dial move to indicate a SW wind, just in its infancy of 5 knots. Within half an hour I had set the yankee and raised the mainsail and we were sailing along at 5 knots - still heading south

All the time we could see the change in the physical weather in the sky above our heads. Then at 0700, we popped out of some misty cloud, into the sunshine and a SW 12 knots, now heading east,which we have carried all day,

The latest weather file shows the most H U M U N G O U S depression coming to occupy the entire Atlantic, but we think if we keep heading east for 2.5 days before it hits, will will be able to benefit from the winds at the eastern edge to blow us home. Lets hope so.

We had Aunt Besty’s American pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast today, Horrified at the calorific content, we then put up some extra sails, which made no difference to the speed, took them down, furled them up and think we may have used a majority of the unneccessary calories.

Thank you for your incoming email, we have had some great jokes and it is a pleasure to hear from you all.

We get the occasional visit from dolphins, which is actually quite spectacular at night, because you can see their phosphorescent stream through the water - looking like we are being totpedoed by a submarine.

I mentioned that Douglas is an intuitive sailor. I forgot to mention that he has done some boating - in whats called “an eight” which apparantly they use on a river? Well he says it has a crew of eight, so it must be quite a big boat (as we are a crew of 3 and Infanta is 50’) so that is obviously where he gets ihs foredeck and sail handling skills. if they are sailing a big boat up a river somwhere, it must be very tricky.

Our whole mood has lightened, being able to get back in the warm sunshine and fair breeze. Basically we lost a day yesterday which is a shame, but if all goes well we could still make it back by Sunday evening 13th.

There is no doubt that being one crew member down does lengthen the trip. We sometimes are short of anergy, or just someone who is awake enough to make a sail change or generally work the boat, and have to stick with our course or sail arrangemnts too long.

A dolphin goes to the Job Centre for work. The man says, fill out these forms. The dolphin fills out the forms and gives them back to the man. The man reads through the forms and says, you ought to go down the the Marine Park Aquarium. They are sure to be interested. Why?, says the dolphin. Do they need a brick layer?

Thanks Dad for that joke.

We are heading for The North of Portugal at 7 knots, so long may it last.

Speak later

Tim.

Alastair steers Infanta south under a horrible frontal system to more favourable winds

Back Tracking Again

We have been able to email Chris Tibbs, a met. guru from Cowes who has been helping us route, and the weather sytemsn which we were staying south for to pick up their SWwinds as we could see on our grib files, have in fact passed even further south than predicted. We have been left therefore on the northern side of the depressions which are giving us this hideous easterly weather.

So we have been advised to head south yet again to find fair winds.

A mood of gloom touched by exasperation has wafted round the cabin, but we have lowered the mainsail, turned Infanta round from being hove to, and are romping south under mizzen, staysail and reefed yankee.and grey clouds, maybe for a day, but we need to find SW winds

Tim

Another Day in Paradise

Position: 43*23’N 31*58’W

1600 BST

In order to get from here to the Channel, we nedd to head ENE. At 0500 this morning the wind changed direction, and guess wher its coming from? No, all you optimists who said it was the reprocal course WSW so it would blow us helpfully home wre wrong. It blew and rained from the ENE.

We have spent 7 hours beating against it, decks under hard on the wind. After 20 minutes on one tack, it backs and we have to tack, then it veers and we tack again. As we are trying to get somewhere and are getting nowhere, we thought we try and get nowhere instead, which we are doing successfully as we have hove to, are sitting in the cabin, shut the hatch lit the cooker for coffee and soup. and lit the fire which is warming the cabin nicely.

Studying the weather info we have, there is no evidence of this stuff predicted any where near us. Man cannot live by grib alone.

Will keep you posted

Tim

Running before the wind under twin headsails with travel worn ensign.