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Thursday, October 17, 2024

Playa Francesa, 275NM SE of Quinta do Lorde

Right after dinner the wind picked up, and we could finally sail again. First on a tentative wing-on-wing, and soon we put in the first reef and moved the staysail to the same side.

What followed was a fun fast 24h of sailing on a beam reach. Wind vane steered, and despite the large waves hitting us on the beam, the boat moved like on rails.

The cloudy night didn’t give many stargazing opportunities. But the full moon gave everything this quite surreal look, like the boat and the sea had stage lighting. Realisation hits: at 29°N we’re now closer to the Equator than to Shetlands.

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Land was sighted in the beginning of the first afternoon watch. The first islands of the Canaries rose from the horizon. We reached La Graciosa in the evening, and dropped anchor to a bay between it and Lanzarote just as the sun set.

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Now time for that well-deserved anleger. Kippis, Martina!



From the logbook

Time Position Course Speed Log Weather Remarks
17.10. 0:00 Z 30°38'4"N 14°36'19"W 146° 5kt 7343.4NM wind 12.9kt 23° sea state 3/10 clouds 7/8 visibility 7/10 baro 1023 hPa Watch change
17.10. 1:00 Z 30°34'37"N 14°32'26"W 151° 4.6kt 7348.2NM wind 13.8kt 21° baro 1023 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 1:09 Z 30°34'2"N 14°31'47"W 138° 6.6kt 7349NM wind 19.8kt 21° baro 1023 hPa 99NM to go
17.10. 1:22 Z 30°32'58"N 14°31'10"W 167° 5.9kt 7350.2NM wind 18.2kt 31° baro 1023 hPa Sails set: Main (1st reef), Staysail
17.10. 1:31 Z 30°32'9"N 14°30'40"W 165° 6.3kt 7351.1NM wind 17.4kt 32° baro 1023 hPa Watermaker 294ppm. Filled 6th canister, 50%
17.10. 2:00 Z 30°29'42"N 14°29'21"W 157° 6.1kt 7353.9NM wind 17.3kt 48° sea state 3/10 clouds 3/8 visibility 7/10 baro 1023 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 2:41 Z 30°26'22"N 14°26'56"W 143° 4.3kt 7357.8NM wind 19.7kt 37° baro 1023 hPa We're entering a major shipping lane now. Vessels from South Africa, Uruguay, etc
17.10. 3:00 Z 30°24'50"N 14°26'3"W 135° 6.3kt 7359.5NM wind 19kt 48° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 3:14 Z 30°23'40"N 14°25'24"W 155° 5.8kt 7360.8NM wind 20.2kt 33° baro 1024 hPa Watermaker 324ppm. Filled 7th canister, 57%
17.10. 4:00 Z 30°19'49"N 14°23'6"W 162° 6kt 7365.2NM wind 17.1kt 26° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 4:53 Z 30°15'28"N 14°19'52"W 153° 5.7kt 7370.4NM wind 20.8kt 34° baro 1023 hPa Stopped watermaker, 278ppm
17.10. 5:00 Z 30°14'54"N 14°19'25"W 141° 5.8kt 7371.1NM wind 22.3kt 44° sea state 4/10 clouds 1/8 visibility 7/10 baro 1023 hPa The wind is starting to build some beam seas
17.10. 5:09 Z 30°14'10"N 14°18'50"W 133° 6.6kt 7372NM wind 21.7kt 27° baro 1023 hPa Again some music on channel 16
17.10. 6:00 Z 30°9'55"N 14°15'29"W 144° 6kt 7377.1NM wind 25.6kt 38° sea state 4/10 clouds 2/8 visibility 7/10 baro 1024 hPa The moon has set and the sun is about to rise. Finally some good old fast sailing!
17.10. 7:00 Z 30°5'19"N 14°11'0"W 143° 7kt 7383.2NM wind 24kt 16° baro 1025 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 8:00 Z 30°0'19"N 14°7'13"W 135° 5.9kt 7389.2NM wind 22.3kt 24° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 9:00 Z 29°55'36"N 14°3'27"W 156° 6.3kt 7395NM wind 22kt 29° baro 1026 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 10:00 Z 29°51'18"N 13°59'20"W 130° 6.9kt 7400.7NM wind 23.3kt 35° baro 1026 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 11:00 Z 29°46'25"N 13°55'47"W 150° 5.4kt 7406.6NM wind 22.2kt 35° baro 1026 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 12:00 Z 29°41'25"N 13°52'17"W 143° 7.2kt 7412.5NM wind 23.3kt 38° sea state 4/10 clouds 3/8 visibility 7/10 baro 1025 hPa Watch change, 35NM to go
17.10. 12:27 Z 29°39'0"N 13°50'59"W 130° 5.6kt 7415.2NM wind 22.2kt 42° baro 1025 hPa Land ahoy! There's a mountain in the horizon, dead ahead
17.10. 12:50 Z 29°36'56"N 13°49'42"W 144° 5.7kt 7417.6NM wind 21.5kt 36° baro 1025 hPa On radio "MCC Diana, following message received..." Sounds like a relay for pan pan or mayday
17.10. 13:00 Z 29°36'3"N 13°49'9"W 158° 8kt 7418.6NM wind 22kt 29° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 13:42 Z 29°32'20"N 13°47'39"W 161° 5.3kt 7422.6NM wind 19.2kt 47° baro 1024 hPa First weather forecast from Canaries GC: F5-6 NE, seas increasing to 3m offshore
17.10. 14:00 Z 29°30'50"N 13°47'0"W 163° 7.1kt 7424.2NM wind 19.2kt 13° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 15:00 Z 29°26'23"N 13°44'6"W 139° 4.7kt 7429.3NM wind 21kt 42° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 16:00 Z 29°22'13"N 13°41'5"W 149° 4kt 7434.3NM wind 16.4kt 56° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 17:00 Z 29°18'49"N 13°37'4"W 127° 6.1kt 7439.3NM wind 20.8kt 37° baro 1023 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 17:12 Z 29°17'59"N 13°36'18"W 156° 5.7kt 7440.4NM wind 21.7kt 31° baro 1024 hPa Autopilot activated
17.10. 18:00 Z 29°13'44"N 13°33'44"W 149° 7kt 7445.2NM wind 23.3kt 32° baro 1024 hPa Hourly position log
17.10. 18:04 Z 29°13'21"N 13°33'25"W 138° 6.2kt 7445.7NM wind 20.3kt 44° baro 1024 hPa Autopilot deactivated
17.10. 18:12 Z 29°12'58"N 13°32'47"W 106° 3.5kt 7446.4NM wind 10.8kt 50° baro 1024 hPa Sails down, motoring
17.10. 18:37 Z 29°13'4"N 13°31'48"W 333° 0.7kt 7447.8NM wind 17.1kt 27° baro 1024 hPa Anchored
17.10. 18:42 Z 29°13'3"N 13°31'49"W 202° 0.2kt 7447.8NM wind 14.8kt 30° baro 1024 hPa Stopped main engine