08-Nov-2008 Noon Update

North Atlantic Ocean

34'05.6N/8'18.3W

• 77 nm last 24 hours
  
• 173 nm from Tangier
  
• 395 nm to Canary Islands
  
• Winds NE 5-10 knots
  
• Seas NE 1 foot
  
• Zero fish last 24 hours
  

The winds remained calm yesterday just as the weather forecasters had predicted. Also, as predicted, after sunset the winds very slowly started clocking around from west to east putting the wind right off Sandpiper's stern at midnight.

We had been motoring all afternoon as what wind there was more like a puffy breeze making it impossible to sail at more then half a knot. So we motored till midnight at low RPMs, and when the winds picked up enough to fill the sails we killed the engine giving us an average of 2 knots of speed. All morning the winds have been filling in and by noon Sandpiper was averaging 4 knots straight downwind with the main out to starboard and the jib poled out to port. The weather GRIB's are predicting that these winds should hold for the next 48 hours. If we are lucky then we should have a couple days of straight downwind sailing on a mellow sea.

We have been fishing since leaving Morocco and only fish caught so far are 2 large Bonito that we threw back. We are hoping for a nice fat tuna. Sandpiper seems to have the 'curse of the Bonito' since we have never caught a tuna. Just lots of Bonito that we have never acquired a taste for.

No other sailboats in sight last 24 hours with N/S bound shipping passing occasionally.

More in 24!!
Tom and Amy