We are now exactly halfway between Falmouth and Lisbon, 360 miles either way. So unless something really drastic happens we won't be going back to Lisbon.

The wind has diminished to 15-20 kt out of the south, so we continue along under foresail and staysail with the leeward (downhill) engine pushing. We're rolling too much to use the mainsail without it banging around in destructive fashion.
We're also somewhat constrained in the course we can choose, because the main shipping lane between the English Channel and the rest of the world passes around Cape Finisterre, and right now we're more or less driving along the shoulder of that road, while our big steel cousins slide by on our port side. Cutting across that traffic lane at an oblique angle would be about as smart as those squirrels that run across busy streets.

The weather forecast is for better weather, with the low that has plagued us dissipating, leaving behind light wind. There is an enormous low up around Greenland that may be headed this way, but not for several days. In the meantime we're limited in speed by the leftover swell that is still running very high, with a crossing sea almost at right angles to it. Very hard on the rig, so we take it easy.

 

Comments (0)