Week 2 - 17.05.18 to 24.05.18
What a week that was! Weather wise we have been all around the compass rose at some point or another, the wind has been to nil with sails flapping all over the place to 37 knots apparent with lashing of rain (obviously on our watch!). As for the seas, we have had it as flat as a pancake but also with waves a good 3 metres high. Fortunately the worse weather has been with the wind behind us, so although it was not particularly pleasant it was not atrocious. I am really suffering with the temperature though... it is freezing. The socks and boots went on before the first week was done, but I am now fully swaddled in layers upon layers of fleeces. And the ocean top has come out at night too. I look and feel like a space cadet in there but it is definitely an improvement on the light weight jacket I have been using. I do now remember why we travelled to the tropics... Must say after 2 years of living in shorts, tee shirts and bare feet, it is a shock to the system. Funnily enough, Ian has now reinstated the front cabin with me... much to my delight, he does the watch just before me so that means that my bed is nice, warm and cosy by the time I get in there. Grey skies and grey seas are more common now, along with menacing low grey clouds full of rain. Dreary...
We have been going under engine a fair amount over the last few days, means we have hot water so hot showers. Love having a shower underway... so cool to watch the sea go by out of the little porthole.
On the upside, the miles are being eaten up now. We passed our middle of the Atlantic waypoint Tuesday, which called for celebration... we cracked the Christmas cake open! And lovely it was too! All downhill now, looking forward to the 1,000 miles milestone ... Not that far to go to the Lizard.
We have been spoiled with the wildlife sightings, dolphins are literally queuing up to play on our bow wave. We counted 5 different groups in one day, the nice “cafe au lait” one. That was only the one who came close. We also saw big groups in the distance, obviously going places. We must be following a dolphin highway. The Portugues Man of War have all but disappeared now. The sea is too cold I guess. The sea temperature went from 24 degrees Celsius to now 16...
Whales have also been around, 3 so far, not doing much though, just puffing their 3 breaths and disappearing back to the deep. They are the torpedo shape ones, will have to look up what kind they are. Still we had not seen one in 2 years of travel... obviously not hanging around in the right places!
The boys have been busy around the boat, getting seaweed out of the rudder, playing around with the sails, spending a few hours trying to get the BBC on the radio (to no avail!), poring over weather maps... or just clowning around. Skipper has been making bread even in heaving seas, for a bet. But they can’t play fishermen anymore; a big fish got their lure complete with weight!
Hoping to be close to England by this time next week...
