Northern Child Passage Log

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 15 - 26th May 2012

Position: 38'31.6"N 029'30.7"W
Distance Run From Start: 2494NM
Distance Made Good: 2222NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 157NM
Wind: SW 20 Knots

Good evening from Northern Child! So this will be the last log of leg one of the trip! We now have 45 miles to go and are expecting to arrive at 0200 our time.  Today has been a good last day as this morning the wind started to back and fill in. For most of the day we have been under poled out headsail
making some good speeds and watching the distance to go counter drop rapidly. The wind backed a little more so we couldn't hold the headsail poled out and now we are on a nice beam-broad reach making around 8.5 knots which is brilliant.

Lunch today was a simple affair of tuna mayo wraps with a little onion to spice things up a bit, all courtesy of Anthony. To accompany lunch and the gorgeous sunshine that we had, we each had a happy 100 miles to go beer to get ourselves in the mood for when we hit land.

This evening Dimitrii graced the galley with his presence for the first time of the trip and did a marvellous job with s spaghetti bolognaise.  We can't see the islands just yet but I am sure in the next few hours they will reveal themselves over the horizon and grow larger every minute. 
Once we arrive we will be putting the boat to bed, and then having a beer or two to celebrate, then to bed for a few hours ready for a morning of work tomorrow. We have the last few jobs to finish which
include doing the laundry, getting diesel, filling with water, food shopping and scrubbing the decks and hull to get all of the salt off ready for the next dousing when we leave the Azores!

So it's with happy hearts I leave you tonight and everybody is looking forward to speaking to you by voice tomorrow!

Bye for now,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii 

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 14 - 25th May 2012

Position: 38'08.5"N 032'34.6"W
Distance Run from Start: 2337NM
Distance Made Good: 1872NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 154NM
Wind: NW 8 Knots

Hello all from Northern Child! So the wind has finally failed us and we have been motor boating for most of the day. The sea is flat and life is a lot more comfortable below decks.  The remainder of last night saw moderate winds and the residues of the big swell which has been making life pretty uncomfortable over the last few days, but, by morning, the sea state really moderated and the wind
down to a modest 12 knots. With full sail this enabled us to keep trucking at a more than respectable 7.5 knots.

The order of the day was clean, clean and more clean today. Everybody was put to work, including me! The list wasn't too long but all the floor mats were brought on deck and scrubbed, as well as the floor
boards, all the bilges dried and cleaned with anti-bac, the walls, hand rails and even the ceilings have been scrubbed, as well as all the food lockers emptied and cleaned. Once it was time to put the food back we had a stock take to see where we were at with our supplies. Other jobs included emptying the fridge and giving that a good clean, even the inside of the shower sump trays were scrubbed spotless! The forepeak has been re-stowed to perfection and Northern Child is looking in pretty good order I must say! Lastly, which obviously is the most important job, beers from the stash in the aft cabin were put in the fridge in preparation for our arrival. 

Once all the jobs were done Anthony treated us to a lovely warm baguette with egg mayo and bacon which was absolutely lovely! This afternoon was a more relaxed affair though unfortunately the iron sail needed to be switched on and we have been motor-sailing since lunchtime.

For dinner this evening Chris put the large lasagne which Lucy made for us in the oven with a couple of garlic baguettes which was a real treat.

So now with about 180 miles to go we are all getting very excited about arriving in Horta, which I should imagine will be at around 0400 local time on the morning of the 26th. It gives a nice feeling when all the time one is having to had another zoom level to the chart plotter, we will start seeing depths and detail on the chart soon! 

Tomorrow the wind is forecast to pick up again to 20-25 knots from the South West which will blast us along quite nicely. All the guys are looking forward to a last good sail before we arrive and rest for a few days.

Speak to you all tomorrow where I should imagine there will be only 40 or 50 miles to go! 

All our love, Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 13 - 24th May 2012

Position: 37'38.4"N 035'37.2"W
Distance Run from Start: 2183NM
Distance Made Good: 1723NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 177NM
Wind: NNW 12 Knots

Good evening from all aboard Northern Child! Life is a lot calmer on the ocean waves today as the swell and wind have been decreasing since this morning. At around 10:00 we shook all the reefs out so the full main saw the light of day for the first time in a while!

The remainder of last night passed by without a hitch and the wind didn't come close to the mid 30 knot mark which we were seeing earlier on. The swell was still quite large though so it made for some
uncomfortable sailing. As the sun came up everything started to moderate, thought the wind was still in the high teens which kept us pounding along at 8-8.5 knots.

Lunch today was a simple affair of pita with some ham, but very nice all the same. This afternoon was reasonably uneventful with lots of sunshine, if with a slight bitter twist to the air.  Chris and I were busy down below as the shower sump pump in the aft head had stopped working so we spent a couple of hours tasking that and am pleased to say everything is working as it should be! 

Dinner this evening was prepared by Tom who made us a lovely chilli con carne which went down very nicely. The talk around dinner was very much on our prospective arrival time in Horta and more importantly having that first cool beer on terra firma! I think we should be arriving in the early hours of the 26th, so roughly 2 days left to go.

The wind is set to continue dying off over night and the swell is goingto reduce to almost nothing which suits me down to the ground as there have been a few items to that pre Horta jobs list which I mentioned! So everybody will be working hard tomorrow getting the bulk of the cleaning done in preparation of our arrival.

So not a lot else to report really other than that we are all looking forward to sighting land and getting a nice hot shower which doesn't move around underneath our feet. 

Chat to you tomorrow,
All out love,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 12 - 23nd May 2012

Position: 37'11.2"N 038'23.7"W
Distance Run from Start: 2006NM
Distance Made Good: 1557NM    
Last 24 Hour Run: 164NM
Wind: NNW 28 Knots

A very good evening to you all from the washing machine that is Northern  Child! A very bumpy day it's been indeed with the same big swell which started yesterday as well as a reasonably stiff breeze! The sailing has been fantastic though and we are bombing along at 9 knots on a beam reach pointing straight at the Azores.

The rest of last night was a very damp night with spray coming over the deck and a few patches of rain. The sunrise was definitely a welcome sight with the prospect of warming up and being able to see the waves as they came at us which always helps when trying to steer as straight a course as the helmsman is able! 
Throughout the morning most of the guys were getting some rest as the sun wasn't out in all its splendour as with previous days. Though the smell of the burgers which Tom was cooking for lunch soon roused us all out of bed and we all tucked in heartily to a nice big cheese burger with onions. Crisis was averted once the elusive bottle of brown sauce had been located much to skippers relief!
The afternoon was much the same though the sun did manage to break through the cloud layer which pleased everybody to no end, though we couldn't make the most of it as today oilies were being worn all day as it is so cold now! 

For dinner Vladimir and Anthony made us a nice meal of pie and chips with some peas, though disaster struck as one of the pies was put on the side and managed to slide off the gimballed cooker all over the floor which took some clearing up, especially as the boat was bucking and pitching all over the place. Things were soon back under control though and though the portion was slightly smaller than originally intended, it was very nice just the same!

The evening brought with it a steadily increasing wind and a slightly larger swell, as well as a thick layer of cloud which coupled with an almost new moon, has made the visibility extremely poor, almost to the
extent of not being able to tell up from down and we can barely see the water over the side of the boat! Makes for some interesting steering, so unfortunately I have a long night ahead of me, more to be present for moral support than anything else! It can be pretty nerve wracking as you can well imagine, especially when one of the larger waves sweeps the boat up. Just before I came down to write to you we had a sustained gust of 35 knots which was interesting. Interesting for Tom in any event as he got spray all over his glasses and couldn't see a jot! He was happy to relinquish the helm at that stage, which I was very pleased about as it looked fun!

For the rest of the evening and tomorrow the weather looks much the same until tomorrow night where the wind is supposed to die down considerably, perhaps we'll get a chance to go motor boating for the first time this trip! Will give us a chance to start on the ever increasing pre-Horta jobs list anyway!

Speak to you tomorrow,
All our love, Matt, Chris, Tom, Anthony, Vladimir and Dimitrii 

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 11 - 22nd May 2012

Position: 36'25.9"N 042'04.3"W
Distance Run from Start: 1842NM
Distance Made Good: 1405NM
Last 24 hour Run: 214NM
Wind: NW 25 Knots

Evening all from Northern Child! Well, what a day. Overnight last night the wind veered into the west as forecast and started building and building. I arose at around 0300 to supervise the driving as conditions were getting pretty tricky, the swell was really picking up and the wind was quite gusty with gust reaching 27 knots. It takes a seasoned helmsman to steer a straight course in those sort of conditions and the guys were finding it pretty tough going, we were sailing with poled out number 3 and 1 reef in the main.

At around 0530 the headsail got backed and BANG! The fitting where the uphaul for the spinnaker pole snapped, before we knew it the sail was going all over the place and the end of the pole was in the drink pointing straight down. I immediately grabbed the helm and summoned Chris, with some degree of urgency as you can imagine! We managed to sort it out in good order by simply raising the inboard end right to the top of the track which lifted the out board end out of the water and Chris was then able to lift the outboard end back on board the boat.

The damage to the pole was pretty minor as it looked like that the eye where the uphaul (the rope that pulls the outboard end of the pole up) had a bit of corrosion inside it anyway, coupled with the added stress of the sail being backed onto it proved too much. The jury rig was a simple and effective one, using the existing uphaul strop we just tied it around the end of the pole, the two stubs of the broken eye proved effective 'guides' to help keep it in place. Just before we were about to re hoist the pole and continue on I noticed a couple of tears in the mainsail, one quite small and another larger one about a foot long. With the wind as it was I couldn't very well leave them to get worse so we summoned Tom on deck to drive the boat for us as Chris and I prepared to drop the mainsail, no easy feat in 4 meter swell!

Anyhow repairs made we rehoisted the main and put 2 reefs in, and back on course we went. The wind kept on creeping up and up until it was constantly above 30 knots, gusting just under 40 at times. With big smiles on our faces Chris and I took turns supervising the driving as conditions were pretty tricky, I can liken it to a black run in skiing terms.

Once the wind was a consistent 35 Knots I decided that it was too dangerous for the more inexperienced crew to drive so Chris and I shared the driving between us. I got the first surfing speed record of 15.4 knots, then when my shift was over, Chris smashed it with a 17.7 knot surf! I still maintain that he had a gust to help him out!  We continued on like this for the rest of the afternoon and coupled with high sea and rain, it really felt like the North Atlantic which I know and love!

At around 1700 the wind shifted massively to the North, so much so I had to bear away a lot to keep the poled out headsail filled until we could organise the sheets to bring the sail back onto the same side as the mainsail to enable us to head up and keep our course. With the wind backing still more to the North West we continued trucking along at 8-9 knots.

Amazingly bearing in mind the conditions, Anthony was a very busy bee downstairs and prepared us what has to be the best meal of the trip so far, he served us marinaded pork chops with dauphinoise potatoes in a lovely sauce. It was lovely!

So I shall leave you again for another night and back on deck I go to the bumpy blowy weather that is outside. There is no other way to describe it apart from it being COLD now! Those northerly winds sure have a lot to answer for.

Bye for now,
All our love, Matt, Chris, Anthony, Vladimir and Dimitrii

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 10 - 21st May 2012

Position: 34'57.1"N 045'46.6"W
Distance Run from Start: 1628NM
Distance Made Good: 1309NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 135NM
Wind: WSW 15 Knots

Ladies and Gentlemen, Lords and Ladies, Boys and Girls, please welcome to the floor, Port Tack!!!!!! It's true, after 1550 miles of being on starboard tack, we finally had to stick a gybe in earlier on today after dinner. The boat feels like it's leaning the wrong way and we have all got limps on account of still having starboard tack legs.....

Just before dark last night I decided to get the pole rigged up ready for the big wind veer that was supposed to happen, so Chris and I as well as the crew were glad of something to do as we were clambering around the foredeck and over the coach roof sticking the pole on the mast. We were still sailing on a nice beam reach (where the wind is coming from 90' in relation to the boat) but rather than having to muck about in the dark with various bits of string and a ruddy long pole after the wind shift happened I thought it prudent to set it up before hand. This of course got everybody's expectations and hopes up, and nothing happened! We stayed on the same course with a beam reach all night and it was not until the sun came up that the wind hinted at veering around to the promised WSW.
Once it finally veered we set up the pole and pulled our Number 3 headsail over onto the end of it to expose as much sail area as we could to the wind which was now coming from behind us. A fairly stately passage to say the least as we spent most of the day doing between 4.5-5.5 knots, though after a lovely lunch of bacon baguettes courtesy of Anthony, the wind slowly started to fill in to increase our speed to around 6 knots. Still nowhere near the speeds we have been making but it takes a lot of wind to get this girl moving downwind! The forecast is for the wind to increase steadily over night and fingers crossed we should have a good 20-25 knots by lunch time tomorrow which should bring
us back up to speed.

Once the wind fills in then I know that we are in a nice band of SW 20-25 knots on the northern edge of the high pressure system which stretches from pretty much where we are, pointing straight at the Azores and beyond and is around 200 miles wide, so we should have the for a day or two and then the wind is set to increase and back all the way around to Northerly and then finally North Westerly. So there is a lot going on weather wise for us over the next few days which should keep us entertained, we'll definitely feel like we have worked for our beer by the time we get there!

Ciao for Now,
Love Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii  

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 9 - 20th May 2012

Position: 33'55.9"N 047'53.5"W
Distance Run from Start: 1493NM
Distance Made Good: 1179NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 184NM
Wind: SSE 12 Knots

A very good evening from all aboard Northern Child! Today has been a good day for us out here, the wind has freed off a bit and we are no longer beating into the wind but are sailing on a nice close reach at 8-9 knots, pointing more or less straight at the Azores. The reaching sheet has been rigged (this is a sheet(a rope which controls the angle of the sail to the boat) with a more outboard sheeting position which enables better headsail trim when off the wind) and life has a definite rosy tinge to it as we passed the 1000NM to go mark earlier on today.

It's all downhill from here (figuratively and literally!) as the wind is set to veer even more westerly and the distance to go counter is now in 3 digits which will rapidly decrease from here on in.
The rest of last night went smoothly as can be with fair winds and only 1 squally cloud which passed ahead of us without even bumping the wind up and only a slight smattering of rain as it passed us by.

The morning bought more of the same with the guys either snoozing down below or reading a book and listening to music on deck in the rather pleasant sunshine. Vladimir was on the case with lunch and once taught how to make a sandwich he turned into a sandwich making machine, so much
so he had to be told to stop as everybody was suitably sated but the sandwiches kept on coming! Will do very nicely for a post watch midnight snack later on!

The afternoon was a very pleasant one, coupled with breaking the 1000NM barrier as I have already mentioned, spirits were high and smiles were on everybody's faces, well, almost everybody. Our seasick crew member stared dejectedly at the chart as I informed him that at the very best we still have 5 days to go, it looks like only a few inches on the screen but they translate to many miles of empty ocean!

This evening Chris was on dinner duty and he made us a pork dish in a creamy sauce with mash and runner beans which was delicious, easily the best meal of the trip so far! After dinner I relented in my no alcohol policy and allowed a single can of beer each to celebrate our 1000NM to go mark earlier on today. The sunset today was spectacular and I almost thought that conditions could have been perfect for the elusive green flash, but alas, it was not to be. In 8 Transatlantic crossings and
nearly 90000NM I have never seen it and it's getting damnably frustrating! One day though!

Despite my joking yesterday I downloaded another weather forecast this morning and life still looks good in that department with the area of high pressure doing exactly as it's supposed to. So tomorrow we are looking forward to some nice downwind sailing however there is a chance
that we are going to encounter headwinds again in a few days time as we get nearer the Azores. Time will tell!

Talking of time I think it is time I hit the sack for an hour or two as my presence is required on deck a little later on tonight. 

Wishing you a very pleasant evening and we will chat to you tomorrow.

All our love,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 8 - 19th May 2012

Position: 32'24.2"N 050'42.9"W
Distance Run from Start: 1309NM
Distance Made Good: 1014NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 167NM
Wind: SE 14 Knots

Hello all from Northern Child!

I hope I find you well today. Life is going swimmingly well on the high seas, for most of us at least. There looks to be no sign of recovery from our patient though he has managed to keep a bit of his dinner down and has drunk plenty of water as well as hydration salts to boot.  Fingers crossed the whole night sleep he is being afforded tonight will see him at least partially recovered tomorrow.

So as the sun sets on another glorious day in the middle of the Atlantic thoughts are tending to drift toward setting foot on dry land as we pass our half way mark. It's always nice to see the distance to go counter less than the trip counter! The miles will seem to roll away and we'll be hitting Peter Sport Cafe before we know it.

The remainder of last night saw reasonably clement weather with a fairly constant wind, good boat speeds and the watches passing by in a flash. Sunrise was beautiful as ever and the sun rapidly warmed the morning up until it was shorts at t-shirts all round once again. The guys have been
let off pretty lightly with the weather this crossing I must say, will have to see if I can arrange something between the Azores and UK!

Lunch was prepared by Chris who kindly stuck a couple of pizza's in the oven which went down particularly well, especially coupled with a nice cold can of soda to wash it down with. The afternoon saw the sextant being bought out and Tom was attempting to try his hand at taking a sight of the sun, needless to say with the boat heeled over and bouncing around all over the place he wasn't particularly successful, so we agreed that in a few days time when we have got the wind coming from a more civilised direction, he may be slightly more successful.

Dinner was prepared by Vladimir who apparently hasn't cooked a thing for many years, and a fine job he made of it too with some of Lucy's chicken tikka masala curry with spinache and butternut squash. It was extremely tasty and got us well fuelled for the night ahead. I have been spending most of the day at the chart table rubbing my hands with glee at the prospective weather forecast, I made a passing joke that I am tempted not to get another one as I like the current forecast so much! So the plan is to maintain our current course and just move the sails around the boat as the high pressure system I mentioned works it's way South Westward.

Speak to you in 24 hours.

Much Love,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 7 - 18th May 2012

Position: 30'32.5"N 052'40.7"W
Distance Run from Start: 1142NM
Distance Made Good: 879NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 163NM
Wind: ESE 12 Knots

Good evening all from Northern Child! Life on the ocean waves is a lot calmer this evening, with a gentle swell rolling under the boat and the phosphorescence twinkling like the stars in our bow wave. Decidedly pleasant I must say with not a squall cell in sight!(For a change!)  The rest of last night however was slightly different with a few squally clouds passing over us and a maintained high wind saw us crashing along at a constant 8 knots, which was all jolly good fun, however
unfortunately seasickness reared it's ugly, rather carroty head again to our chronic sufferer. The sickness lasted throughout today and unfortunately the remedy has been, take a pill and told if you can't  change it, you may as well get on with it. Sometimes a firm hand is what is called for! For the rest of us the sailing has been great today with the sun shining, flying fish flying, no doubt birds singing(somewhere at least) and only a few clouds in the sky. The wind has veered slightly so we are pointing a little more towards our target now. As you can see from the disparity between our distance run and our distance made good(to clarify, distance made good is how far we have actually gone towards our target), we have been sailing a little off course due to the wind.

However this is perfectly normal for this trip and is actually a common route to take with a more Northerly course followed by a more Easterly course. Lunch today was prepared by Anthony who did sterling work in the galley and presented us a dish with a definite Mexican flavour of curried
kidney beans, cheese and a thin pita bread which was absolutely delicious! More of the same routine followed during the afternoon of listening to music, enjoying the sun, and reading books on deck.

This evening Tom graced the galley with his presence and prepared us a lovely chicken dish with a tomato based sauce and new potatoes that was wolfed down heartily by the crew. Definitely got us well set up for the night ahead at any rate! So before you think we are all living the life of Riley I should mention that the nights are getting decidedly chilly now with even a jumper sneaking it's way under the full oilskins which we are all now donning before going up on deck. The hats are in danger of coming out next!

I have been closely reviewing the weather over the last couple of days as we approach our halfway mark. There is an area of high pressure to the North of us with it's centre around 500 miles North West of the Azores, this is gradually making it's way towards the Azores over the next few days which is going to maintain the E to NE winds we have now. However in 4 days time the centre of the high is forecast to be more or less over the Azores, even a little to the South which means the wind
will be veering to the SE which we are all looking forward to. I can tell you, over 1000NM upwind can get a bit tiresome as the sailors amongst you can probably imagine.  The plan is then to skirt up the Western edge of the pressure system and along the Northern edge which should see us with South Westerly, then Westerly, and then North Westerly winds which means some blissful
downwind sailing for the last part of our trip. The alternative is to beat around the Southern edge of the system or motor straight through the middle, both of which are not ideal.  Though as we all know the weather forecast can change at the drop of a hat so I am not counting my chickens just yet! I will be keeping you updated as and when I know.

We hope all is well with you back home and we are looking forward to telling you all about our adventures when we see you next.

Until tomorrow, all our love,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimtitrii

Northern Child - Antigua Azores UK - Daily Log # 6 - 17th May 2012

Position: 28'16.8"N 054'21.8"W
Distance Run from Start: 979NM
Distance Made Good: 748NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 181NM
Wind: E 20 Knots

A very good evening to you all from a very rocky Northern Child! The sea has picked up and we currently have some 3m waves coming through which has you can imagine is making life a tad uncomfortable, coupled with 20 knots of wind it's making some pretty exciting sailing, all good on
deck, but down below is another matter! All part and parcel of life at sea though.

So last night (I am sure you can guess what's coming next?) we had a few squally patches of cloud come through with some gusty winds and a bit of rain which made life a little interesting, the crew took it in their stride as the squall clouds rolled towards us ominously. However with a reef in the main and the number 3 headsail on the boat was well set up for whatever was thrown at her.

Again as with every morning the sunrise was stunning and bore fruit to another gloriously sunny day, again with some good tunes playing on the stereo and everybody on deck, sunning themselves and reading books, oh and having a drive too! Chris treated us to some lovely fried egg and ham sandwiches (sophisticated stuff this yachting business hey?) which were absolutely delicious, and set us up for a cracking afternoon sail.

Just before dinner the wind started to veer back to the East as predicted, and has been slowly building ever since to top out at the 20 knots which we have now. This of course didn't make my life in the galley particularly easy as I was preparing one of Lucy's lovely pre cooked meals, so Chris and I stuck in a reef early to flatten the boat a bit, coupled with some squall clouds on the distant horizon, it proved a wise move.

So as the the night begins in earnest with the boat pitching and rolling we can look forward to some good, if rather wet sailing overnight. On a slightly more sombre note I would just like to say that all our thoughts are with Mick Watts and his family, and also of course Chris, who's granddad passed away yesterday. Please have our sincere condolences and Mick I look forward to seeing you when we get back for a beer in memory.

All our love from 28' North,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii  

Position: 28'16.8"N 054'21.8"W
Distance Run from Start: 979NM
Distance Made Good: 748NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 181NM
Wind: E 20 Knots

A very good evening to you all from a very rocky Northern Child! The sea
has picked up and we currently have some 3m waves coming through which
has you can imagine is making life a tad uncomfortable, coupled with 20
knots of wind it's making some pretty exciting sailing, all good on
deck, but down below is another matter! All part and parcel of life at
sea though.
So last night (I am sure you can guess what's coming next?) we had a few
squally patches of cloud come through with some gusty winds and a bit of
rain which made life a little interesting, the crew took it in their
stride as the squall clouds rolled towards us ominously. However with a
reef in the main and the number 3 headsail on the boat was well set up
for whatever was thrown at her.
Again as with every morning the sunrise was stunning and bore fruit to
another gloriously sunny day, again with some good tunes playing on the
stereo and everybody on deck, sunning themselves and reading books, oh
and having a drive too! Chris treated us to some lovely fried egg and
ham sandwiches (sophisticated stuff this yachting business hey?) which
were absolutely delicious, and set us up for a cracking afternoon sail.
Just before dinner the wind started to veer back to the East as
predicted, and has been slowly building ever since to top out at the 20
knots which we have now. This of course didn't make my life in the
galley particularly easy as I was preparing one of Lucy's lovely pre
cooked meals, so Chris and I stuck in a reef early to flatten the boat a
bit, coupled with some squall clouds on the distant horizon, it proved a
wise move.
So as the the night begins in earnest with the boat pitching and rolling
we can look forward to some good, if rather wet sailing overnight.
On a slightly more sombre note I would just like to say that all our
thoughts are with Mick Watts and his family, and also of course Chris,
who's granddad passed away yesterday. Please have our sincere
condolences and Mick I look forward to seeing you when we get back for a
beer in memory.
All our love from 28' North,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii  

Position: 28'16.8"N 054'21.8"W
Distance Run from Start: 979NM
Distance Made Good: 748NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 181NM
Wind: E 20 Knots

A very good evening to you all from a very rocky Northern Child! The sea
has picked up and we currently have some 3m waves coming through which
has you can imagine is making life a tad uncomfortable, coupled with 20
knots of wind it's making some pretty exciting sailing, all good on
deck, but down below is another matter! All part and parcel of life at
sea though.
So last night (I am sure you can guess what's coming next?) we had a few
squally patches of cloud come through with some gusty winds and a bit of
rain which made life a little interesting, the crew took it in their
stride as the squall clouds rolled towards us ominously. However with a
reef in the main and the number 3 headsail on the boat was well set up
for whatever was thrown at her.
Again as with every morning the sunrise was stunning and bore fruit to
another gloriously sunny day, again with some good tunes playing on the
stereo and everybody on deck, sunning themselves and reading books, oh
and having a drive too! Chris treated us to some lovely fried egg and
ham sandwiches (sophisticated stuff this yachting business hey?) which
were absolutely delicious, and set us up for a cracking afternoon sail.
Just before dinner the wind started to veer back to the East as
predicted, and has been slowly building ever since to top out at the 20
knots which we have now. This of course didn't make my life in the
galley particularly easy as I was preparing one of Lucy's lovely pre
cooked meals, so Chris and I stuck in a reef early to flatten the boat a
bit, coupled with some squall clouds on the distant horizon, it proved a
wise move.
So as the the night begins in earnest with the boat pitching and rolling
we can look forward to some good, if rather wet sailing overnight.
On a slightly more sombre note I would just like to say that all our
thoughts are with Mick Watts and his family, and also of course Chris,
who's granddad passed away yesterday. Please have our sincere
condolences and Mick I look forward to seeing you when we get back for a
beer in memory.
All our love from 28' North,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii  

Position: 28'16.8"N 054'21.8"W
Distance Run from Start: 979NM
Distance Made Good: 748NM
Last 24 Hour Run: 181NM
Wind: E 20 Knots

A very good evening to you all from a very rocky Northern Child! The sea
has picked up and we currently have some 3m waves coming through which
has you can imagine is making life a tad uncomfortable, coupled with 20
knots of wind it's making some pretty exciting sailing, all good on
deck, but down below is another matter! All part and parcel of life at
sea though.
So last night (I am sure you can guess what's coming next?) we had a few
squally patches of cloud come through with some gusty winds and a bit of
rain which made life a little interesting, the crew took it in their
stride as the squall clouds rolled towards us ominously. However with a
reef in the main and the number 3 headsail on the boat was well set up
for whatever was thrown at her.
Again as with every morning the sunrise was stunning and bore fruit to
another gloriously sunny day, again with some good tunes playing on the
stereo and everybody on deck, sunning themselves and reading books, oh
and having a drive too! Chris treated us to some lovely fried egg and
ham sandwiches (sophisticated stuff this yachting business hey?) which
were absolutely delicious, and set us up for a cracking afternoon sail.
Just before dinner the wind started to veer back to the East as
predicted, and has been slowly building ever since to top out at the 20
knots which we have now. This of course didn't make my life in the
galley particularly easy as I was preparing one of Lucy's lovely pre
cooked meals, so Chris and I stuck in a reef early to flatten the boat a
bit, coupled with some squall clouds on the distant horizon, it proved a
wise move.
So as the the night begins in earnest with the boat pitching and rolling
we can look forward to some good, if rather wet sailing overnight.
On a slightly more sombre note I would just like to say that all our
thoughts are with Mick Watts and his family, and also of course Chris,
who's granddad passed away yesterday. Please have our sincere
condolences and Mick I look forward to seeing you when we get back for a
beer in memory.
All our love from 28' North,
Matt, Chris, Anthony, Tom, Vladimir and Dimitrii