BLUEMOMENT

Probably not going to get a better window than this for heading for Spain -wind mostly aft of the beam for the next week, a couple of fronts coming through our route Sat/Sun but hopefully nothing over 25 knots, then quietening right down again for our arrival in Spain.

Well, that's the plan - time will tell. Will try to email stuff to Silkie or Timbo using the satphone so people can follow our progress.

Had to go and buy a pair of waterproof trousers this morning . . .

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- Nick

. . . . . . . . .

Believe me....you are going to need them......

Donald

Position report 2000 UTC July 9th

Departed Wossname 1230

N38 57.5 W26 27.5

Distance travelled 35nm
Distance to somewhere else 815nm

All well, doing about 4.5kt in light winds.

Will report noon tomorrow.

_________________
Tim

Someone's left a purple line for Fairwinds to follow.



Ash

Fairwinds' Position Report 12.00 UTC 10th July 2007

39deg 26.9'N
024deg 51.7'W

Distance from Praia da Vitoria 115nm

Distance to Camarinas (approx) 740nm


Left Praia at half past twelve and have done 115nm on a direct track (great circle route) for Camarinas. We left twenty minutes before Will on Aluffe - he has two Kiwis as crew for this leg. They overtook us during the night and are now several miles ahead of us, out of sight but still VHF range.

We talked to a couple of French boats last night who have been listening to Herb's 'Southbound' Atlantic weather net. Herb is recommending that boats bound for Europe from the Azores stay below 40degN until Friday as there is a strong depression at 43degN. We will probably taked his advice and head due East when we reach 40degN early tomorrow morning; winds are light, seas calm and the sun shining at the moment, but a front with 20-25 knots will pass over us on Thursday or Friday, bringing stronger NW winds behind it.

Having said that, I have just looked at today's GRIB and it si showing the depression weakening and slipping South now, giving us more strong South-Westerlies early next week . . . . Plan B may be Bayona, it's a little bit nearer. It doesn't look like it's going to be a milk run anyway . . .


We had a bit of a problem with the VHF this morning - there are not one but two dodgy connections in the mike lead, so it has to be bent at a strange angle to get it to transmit. Otherwise things are fine, although we are having to run the engine more than we would like to charge the batteries.

(Dave, can you have a good look at the GRIBS and other charts, let us know of fronts etc as I can't see them on the Globalmarine GRIBS. Estimated position Friday 06.00 is 40deg N 18 deg W, then a direct course for Bayona / Vigo if possible - all subject to change. Will give you a ring this evening on the satphone)

Fairwinds out.

Can anyone else also have a look for this info for Nick - I'm not going to get home until later - Dave

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we are star dust

Position report Tuesday 2041 UTC

N39 32.4
W24 07.7

Sailing at 2.5kt in light winds. Currently making more West than North to avoid a developing front, expected to pass through Thursday/Friday. Once this has passed they will start to head on a direct track to Finisterre.

More tomorrow.

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Tim

I hope he means more East than North!

That would have been my advice anyway. According to the forecasts at the moment it looks like there is a corridor of SW F4 (after the next 24 hours) if they sag south of the rhumb line initially and make up the northing in the second half of the passage.

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we are star dust

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we are star dust

Fairwinds' Position Report 12.00 UTC 11th July 2007

39deg 40.7'N

022deg 36.1'W

Noon - Noon Run:108nm

Distance from Praia da Vitoria 221nm

Distance to WP B1 221nm

Distance to Camarinas (approx) 635nm

At 1300 yesterday after consulting the GRIBS we decided to heed Herb's advice and stay below 40 deg N until the front predicted for Thurs/Fri has gone through, thus hoping to avoid the strongest winds. We therefore altered course for a waypoint (B1) at 40 deg N 17deg 50'W, a distance of about 340 miles from our then current position.

In the evening we tried to listen to Herb but even with the external aerial on the Roberts SW receiver there was too much static. Spoke to Lady Ann on the VHF - she had been speaking to Herb and he was predicting 15 knots for Wednesday and 25, maybe a bit more, for Thursday when the front came through, after which we would be able to turn for our waypoint for Finisterre or La Coruna. By then there should be about 400 miles to go.

It was a roasting hot day with only a few knots of wind aft of the beam - the hottest we have ever been at sea on Fairwinds. Luckily it was calm enough to open the forehatch for some of the day. We managed to sail at a bit over four knots for most of the time, although it slowed down a little
bit after midnight. Kathy kept sailing slowly so I could sleep, but at three
o'clock when I came on watch I put the engine on, and we motor-sailed at up to 6 knots for the next nine hours. I topped up the diesel at ten thirty -
eleven litres filled the tank to the brim, with another 40 litres in cans
still in reserve.

This morning we heard Lady Ann calling up a US warship (which passed us maybe half an hour later) on CH16 and asking for the weather. They gave 15-20 knots, cloudy and 3-5ft seas for today. As I write this it is hot, the clouds have gone and we have about ten or eleven knots of wind from the SW . The genoa is poled out and we are rolling along peacefully at between four and four and a half knots.

(Dave - I couldn't find your landline number -will try to get it off Tim
when I give him a quick call later)

Fairwinds out.

_________________
Tim

Jist had a call from the man hissel' on the satphone. His opening comment was "This is scary excrement Dave, you don't want to do anything like this ever!"

On top form however - goose-winged, poled & prevented and making a stately 3.5 knots but coming under some pressure from the first mate (Are we nearly there yet? I thought you said this boat could make 6.5 knots?) to do a tcm and fire up the iron topsail.

This looks like it might be their first proper downwind passage of the entire trip - touch wood, scratch a backstay and turn three times.

Jealous? Who me? Never!

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we are star dust

My thanks to Tim and Silkie for keeping us updated.

Scary excrement - I know that they are in a big bit of water - but they have successfully come through worse situations - or is it a general comment rather than of this moment.

Please pass my regards on to Nick and Kathy.

Tell Nick that I'm in the midst of fitting my Beta.

Ash

All this hassle with winds and waves.

For the life of me, I can't work out why Nick and Kathy did not just catch a plane and stay in cheap apartments.

If you look at the cost of the boat, the Beta engine and the Marina fees they have paid, it would be a lot easier to just fly to those destinations.

eddie

Oh and they would not have to write this blog!!!!

Fairwinds' Position Report 12.00 UTC 12th July 2007

39deg 51.4'N 020deg 28.1'W

Noon - Noon Run:102nm

Distance from Praia da Vitoria 322nm

Distance to WP B1 121nm

Distance to Camarinas or Bayona (approx) 540nm


We had a good sail poled out and goosewinged until dusk, at which point I spoke with Lady Anne to see what advice Herb had given him. It was the same as before - maintain a course below 40degN for another 36 hours (i.e. to Friday morning sometime) before heading directly for Finisterre. Herb had suggested winds building overnight, so we dismantled the bits of string and downed the main - only to find there was not enough wind to run under genoa, so we motored overnight for nine hours in light conditions with 3-5 knots apparent from astern.

At six o'clock we switched off the engine and deployed the genoa, then at nine put the main back up - with two reefs in this time - and ran goosewinged. We have just checked the new GRIB and it looks like no change - we can expect the SW wind to build to twenty to twenty five knots overnight, before dropping away again sometime on Friday morning. I have just gybed the pole to keep us on track for our intermediate waypoint at 40N. We will get the main and pole down again at dusk or when the wind gets near 20 knots, whichever comes first. At the moment we are surfing at up to seven and a half knots, and the Navik is still coping - just.


Fairwinds out.



(Note that the image is no longer north up since the placemark labels were getting a bit confused.)

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we are star dust

Well done Nick, Kathy and FW. Sounds like you are doing teh right thing keeping below 40. Keeping an eye everyday for you. Still hoping my guess at your arrival in Kilmore is the winner! Having a wee tot for you.

Cheers Steve B & the VAGB

Good going for 23 ' LWL.
7.5 / 4.8 = 1.5625

I've momentarily seen 8 knts downwind, no pole or preventer, and it was pretty scary. Certainly wouldn't like to do it hours under windvane.

Fair Winds

Ash