27-Dec-2008 Noon Position

Atlantic Crossing Day #3
16'21.8N/31'10.8W
North Atlantic Ocean

• 116 nm last 24 hours
  
• 357 nm from Cape Verde
  
• 1664 nm to Barbados
  
• Winds E 10-15
  
• Seas NE 2-3 feet
  

The winds have dropped a bit today and veered to the east right off the stern giving us an average of 4 knots. Although we have slowed down, the ride is smoother as the swells have dropped down.

Another large pod of Pilot Whales spent several hours acting like they were porpoises, swimming alongside, checking out Sandpiper's bottom. They were followed later by a large school of porpoises jumping all around us. Some of the Pilot Whales were over 20 feet in length and would swim sideways as they passed to get a good look at us.

No traffic last 24 hours. We do not expect to see any shipping for the next few days until we get to the N/S shipping lanes connecting the East Coast of the U.S. to South Africa.

We are just a little south of where in February 1982 solo sailer Steven Callahan hit something in the middle of the night in his small sailboat. As his boat sank, he jumped into his life raft. He drifted along with the trade winds for the next 76 days, surviving on fish he could spear from the opening in his raft, and grabbed a few birds that decided to land within his grasp. He finally was rescued by fishermen off the island of Marie-Galante in the Caribbean. If you have not read his book 'Adrift', then go get it and as it makes for a great read about what happens when you have to take to a life raft  before the era of 406MHz EPIRB's. We are hoping the Piper can make a faster passage then his life raft.

More in 24,
Amy and Tom