Graveyard shift…2300 till 0300. Came on watch to find night orders to strike the t’gallant if boat speed exceeded six knots. Previous watch had been busy with a Saltine inventory so they advised we retrim.  Ten minutes later after a little ease here and pull there we’ve gone from 5.2 to 6.4 knots. At least a knot and a half of that speed over ground is toasty Gulf Stream water at 75°, but the conservative sail set continues while the boat and crew continue to settle. 
 

The conditions are mild and perfect in the minds of the students, I’m wishing for more breeze and boatspeed…perhaps I should be careful what to wish for, there are lows hammering their way east above us and a little help from them would be welcome, but really no choice but to come this far south at this stage to clear the bergs.  Given the sea temp, the only ice in this part of the pond will be G&T size cubes…if only.
 
Making north of east now, none too soon. Should have a good run of weather for a while as we climb up the back of the mid ocean high that keeps shouldering the Canadian lows northwards.  That wont last forever, at some stage those boulders have to roll back down the other side as we close on the western approaches to the UK.  Impossible to conceive of getting across without getting spanked at least once by Mother Nature, but not now.  Now is star-staring weather in shorts and sandals, but such good fortune must be paid for eventually. A good thing that this easy beginning has allowed skill levels and confidence to grow in the students, perhaps when more than the odd bucket of salty comes over the rail (the most we’ve had so far) they’ll be ready…not.  Ready as they could be given their backgrounds is more accurate of course, and, just like that feeling in a roller coaster as it reaches the top they’ll see that they can’t get off.  Most of the crew know that and are preparing for that first joust with the wind and wave gods, playing part shepherd, part part lifeguard and part babysitter during the process. The professional crew on board will always be the former two, but with luck after the first blow we might be doing less of the latter. 
 
Love to my girls, Kent

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