Halfway to Horta

We are currently motoring across an area of high pressure called the Azores high which dominates the northern central Atlantic.  Its about 10pm on a beautiful calm dark night lit only by the stars but we know a bright big moon will be rising in a couple of hours and that will illuminate everything as if it were day,  The boat is hissing through the water pushing foam flecked with phosphorescent plankton aside and into its wake making the water sparkle.  We (Scott, Sam and Clemmie) are the 8 to 12 watch and currently about halfway through our night shift.

Going back a few days we completed our preparations as planned and spent a day sailing from Road Town up to Virgin Gorda to give the crew a chance to sail Dulcinea.  It was a great day and in the evening we anchored in Gorda Sound off Saba Rock and had our last meal ashore for a few weeks which ufortunately was pretty average.

Next day we were up early and moved a couple of miles across the sound to Gun Creek where we completed the departure formalities with customs and immigration.  Then we shifted an even shorter distance to Leverick Bay marina to top off the diesel and water for the boat.  We left the fuelling dock and picked up a mooring and most people went ashore for an hour.  By 12:30 everyone was back onboard and the boat was ready for the off.

The weather forecast had come in the previous day from Commander Weather and had been very favourable.  It gave us the option of heading directly to the Azores, bypassing Bermuda, and this became the preferred option.  The plan was to sail North while the easterlies prevailed and then follow the high around to the east.

At 12:45 we left North Sound and headed North towards Anageda which we cleared a couple of hours later.  The last land for two weeks.  For the first few days we had to head north making as much easting as we could without it being too uncomfortable,  We were running on an extremely close reach into a north east swell and the boat was well heeled over, pitching sharply and taking water over the foredeck.  This lasted for three days.  Most of the crew were pretty quiet during this time just focusing on getting their sea legs.  Gordon was the least affected and did a great job shouldering the bulk of the galley work during this time.  Clemmie unfortunately was  quite sick but toughed it out.  By about day four everyone was over the sea sickness and feeling much more relaxed moving about the boat.

Also by day four we had made about 600Nm to the north.  The wave and swells diminished and the wind started to veer around to the south and we followed slowly altering our course to a more easterly direction.  Since then the condition have eased more and more and we now have a almost flat calm sea and four knots of wind - hence the engine.  We expect to be sailing again within 24hrs and the forecast to Horta in the Azores if favourable.  Currently we are about 1300Nm from Horta and with a bit of luck should be there by the beginning of next week.

The boat has been sailing fantastically.  We have averaged about 7.3kts under sail so far over around 900 miles.  This morning in the light conditions we even managed to fly the light weather MPS for a few hours for the first time since buying the boat.  It looked great as it is a multicoulored sail with a big styalised ‘D’ in the middle.  Despite the performance Scott is still anguishing over something going wrong.  It will certainly be a relief  for him to get to Gibraltar.

The crew have been great and have just mucked in and got on with the sailing.  We had some leakage through the hatches after spending a couple of days with water rolling across the foredeck.  Both Clemmies cabin and the cabin Lars and Gordon share got wet but everyone toughed it out.  The last couple of calmer days have allowed us to get everything dry and back in shape.  So we have Steve and Andy on one watch, Gordon and Lars on the other and Scott, Clemmie and Sam on the third.  There is a bit of competition between the three watches to see who will get the furthest mileage during the trip.  Currently Andy and Steve are in front but there is plenty of time to go.

Its been an interesting week and with everyone now in a groove the remainder of the trip should pass relatively quickly.  Big thing now is to guard against complacency as we still have a lot of mileage to cover in an awfully big ocean.

The Atlantic Crew

A Note from New Jersey

It’s hard to believe that we have left the Caribbean behind. After so many months of constantly warm weather, relatively easy(!) sailing, friendly peeps and so much natural beauty, I can’t quite imagine what Europe will be like. It is as Scott pointed out though, when we started the journey we couldn’t imagine what any of it was going to be like, then we got the hang of sailing in the US and we couldn’t imagine what sailing in the Caribbean was going to be like, then we got the hang of that. So it’s onto another new adventure and I’m sure we’ll get the hang of this.

Calley and I are currently enjoying the home comforts at Diana & Lars’ house. We have had a great visit and Calley has had a fantastic time with her cousins, Ross and Skye. There has been visits to the park, laser tag, movies, basketball, an Easter egg hunt and roller skating.

I have so enjoyed spending time with Diana - lots of talking and laughing, mostly speculating about how the Dulcinea crew are getting on, how to pronounce The Azores, and the bear in the backyard! It makes me appreciate girlfriends and realise how much I miss those relationships on the boat. Saying that, Calley and I are missing Scott and Sam very much.

We will fly out to Copenhagen to visit with Karen, Scott’s mum, on Friday for one week, and then onto London and Paris where we’ll meet up with my bestie, Heth. Can’t wait!

RIP Fudruckers...…

The Dynamic Duo

Sk8r Girl