Azores to Ireland | Day 6

Sunrise around 4:30am this morning

One more day down. Three more to go. Yesterday provided more wind than expected. We were consistently in the 20s with gusts into the mid-20s. We decided that it was time to reef and bring down the whisker pole. The process was a touch spicy, but not too bad.

The seas were slightly higher, probably around 6-7 feet and coming more from our rear quarter rather than right behind us—slightly pushing the stern of the boat around. We giggled a bit because prior to our crossing, we would have regarded seas predicted at 6 feet with some trepidation. But now it just seems like another day on the water.

Ken said prior to setting out for the crossing from Beaufort, NC that this crossing would make us better sailors. I think that has been true. We are learning the differences between coastal sailing and true blue-water sailing, and better understanding weather patterns, navigation, and sail configuration.

The settled weather has made it much easier to relax during this passage. We have a hard drive full of movies, thanks to our friends Mia and LJ, and Ken has thoroughly enjoyed taking full advantage of it. He has now watched five movies in two days.

We have made the turn east toward Ireland, with a Monday arrival in sight.

All is well!

Living untethered, but held fast.

Day Six Stats:

Total Nautical Miles Sailed 163nm

Average Boat Speed 6.8kts

Max Boat Speed 9.1kts

GPS Coordinates 50 10.778N 18 51.335W

Miles to go: 369