Yesterday morning was fine, we were in about 10 knots of wind doing about 5 or 6 knots. I had been thinking about making porridge at around 0800 when Patrick got up and put it on so we had porridge for breakfast. Patrick then chopped an onion, garlic and butternut for a curry. The wind picked up to 20 knots, as we are close hauled, (on the port tack) this is quite uncomfortable. My leak fixing in Puerto Rico, has proved useless. We spent the rest of the day and last night with 2 reefs in the main and the genoa up and down between very little and 2 reefs along with the staysail and have been going along at about 5.5 knots between ENE and NE as the wind allows, the wind is supposed to back from now so, as it frees off, it should get more comfortable. If the forecast is correct after it frees off we should mostly have favourable winds until the Azores, well favourable in direction anyway, possibly slightly breezier than ideal.
We covered 119 miles yesterday, 110 closer to Horta.
We had a simple bean salad lunch and curry dinner after sundowners with cheetos (nick nacks) as a treat for Saturday although sitting down below, avoiding the leaks, trying not to spill stuff as we bounced around it may not have seemed as treatish as we would have liked.
It’s been getting cooler almost since we left, in Antigua, it was jolly hot, first day out was quite hot but since the second or third night out we’ve had a jumper on and it may be time to dig out some long trousers although I may wait as, once they get wet which, inevitably, they will, it’s very difficult to dry them as opposed to legs which dry quite quickly.
Slainte
Jock Patrick and Yemaya.
Good food will always give comfort against leaks and nothing more heartwarming as a curry