Happy 50th Gordie

We're having a talk with Dr Murphy the better to celebrate in good health. Onya mate - go talk to your gargoyle about looking your age! Our little Coolgardie fridge has worked its magic overnight and Dr Murphy is satisfactorily cool.

And we've knocked over our first 100 miles since Lisbon. I wonder how the early Portugese sailors felt around about here - I'm playing with images of little, heavily loaded caravels and naus wallowing around in the sun and trying to catch enough breeze to send them south. Pennants, decorated sails, at least one priest per ship and religious statues and probably black hulls. And the three Trafalgar fleets must all have been close to here in the months before the battle.

Poor Berri is so heavy that she was doing her wave piercing act in the big rollers - no graceful climb over the top. They have subsided now - brilliant blue sky, a ship just passing astern pointing towards New York - about 10 knots of breeze and we're flopping along.

We're aiming for Madeira - more or less as the wind allows.

Position at noon 3721 01015 920 miles from Falmmouth but that includes up and down the Tagus.

Now 1630 - 24 hour run 128 miles.

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A bit further out

0700 position today 3738N 00953W - we're now about 10 miles SW of that. All systems seem to be working - except this laptop which is still crashing regularly - refusing to talk properly to the USB device. Very frustrating.

We get about half an amp from the Airbreeze at about 9 knots apparent. Better than nowt but we need nearly 2 to break even.

Ships everywhere - will do a better blog later AGW

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Hopefully, not Counting Chickens

Update position images are meticulously prepared by a handpicked team
of round-the-clock observers in the UK, in this case with the sincere
hope that the addition of the "leaving Lisbon" image won't ensure
another round of snaggles and a return to the Doca. I&G

3823N 00930W

Tentatively - we're on our way. Dipped our lids to Henry with an ample dose of medical compound from Carol's magic bottle and on down the Tagus into a dark and rainy sunset and a horrible boat stopping sea - big Atlantic rollers with wind waves all over the place on top. Rain and a dying wind, lightning behind us.

And the wind dropped right out so we're pottering along - read rolling all over the place - at about 2.5 knots with the engine. Not much fun but at least we're out.

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