Azores to Poole - Day 8

Rainmaker
Donald Macdonald
Thu 3 Jun 2021 16:48
Position 48.03.5N 12.18.0W
 
John no longer needs the heating on when he gets home, sun out, going downwind, shorts on exposing legs so a lot happier today.
 
Sailing last 24 hours been a bit of a pain. The wind died about 1800, there should have still been 15 knots blowing us along. The wind also changed direction considerably. On inspection of the GFS weather chart this sort of change should have been 60-70 miles north of us. All night little changes, Code 0 up, then down, then up at times managing a whole 3 knots boat speed. 0600 still bad then a direction change so required to gybe the Code 0 which is not set up for, did it once an hour later needed to do it again, then tried poling it out. Then it was Code 0 down black spinnaker up about 1100, still up now. Going along according to wind 10-15 knots, at 6-8 knots so very pleasant and Harold can do it. Expect to have the spinnaker up overnight and do think may get a few more knots of breeze for a couple hours around midnight. Distance wise not a good 24 hours just over a 100nm.
 
New fault, in the fore cabin saw a light going on and off when on the foredeck, John's investigations revealed light full of water. LED filament removed, problem to be rectified in Poole.
 
Saw a ship an hour ago 1st one in 4 days. Cargo going to USILM, not sure which port ILM is.
 
Dinner tonight will be chicken meatballs in spicy sauce for john with extra spice from a bottle, just meatballs in tomato for me, with peas, carrots, baguette then pineapple rings in juice.
 
Yesterday one of the baguettes was no longer vacuum sealed and had gone crumbly in packet so think we will be short 1 meal of a baguette, but not bad 1 failed one after nearly 8 months.