Wed 26 August 02:00

Wednesday 26 August 02:00
We left Madeira about 16:00 Monday. Tenefife was about 250nm away. We don't want to arrive at night, so we wanted to plan to arrive either Wednesday afternoon not later than 16:00 (48 hours) averaging not less than 5.2 knots, or Thursday morning not earlier than 06:00 (62 hours) averaging not more than 4.0 knots. I decided that we would sail normally out past the Desertas Islands, and after we were past the lee of the islands and knew the true wind determine whether to go fast or slow. About four hours later it became apparent that we would not be able to average 5 knots without running the engine all the way, so go slow became the rule. Since then we have been slowing the boat down at every opportunity. In this wind the boat wants to sail about 4.4 knots, which would get us there in the middle of the night, so we are doodling along at about 3.8 knots under trisail and partially furled genoa, very lazily, very comfortably, reading mostly. Distance now is 120nm, ETA sunrise Thursday.
Things are so peaceful tonight I pulled out the sextant and took shots on Capella and Vega against the faint starlit horizon. I got an intersept of 6.1 for Capella nad 0.8 for Vega. I was very satisfied considering the iffy horizon.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II