July 7th, 2009

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Wednesday July 7. Flying “Fleetwood”

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

At 19.15 hrs UTC I was at 34.16 N 49.18 W with 1022 miles to Azores, a 114 mile day. If I would be going striaght for the Azores these miles would be more like 120/125, but I am still holding to the south of it, for that predicted front above 35 North. Another outstanding sailing day. All night I was able to average above 5 knots, with just the 90% jib. Then the 3 reef main went up in the morning, now I am back again to just the 90% and still averaging 5 3/4 knots. I will have a picture to show you of the hand held GPS registering 9.5 knots… I saw it as high as 10.1 knots. This happens when the wave lifts me and lets the boat slide down again. It is exhilarating. If these winds and conditions hold to the Azores I’ll have a good chance to record one of the fastest passages for a 30 footer, from Bermuda. Herb could not hear me but another boat “Way we Go” is just 50 miles to the S.W. of me and his predictions will be identical for me. This might be come a regular race. The old racing juices are running already setting me up to lay out the 1 1/2 ounce spinaker.

The moon rise was obstructed by clouds. I did get a few pictures of it after it rose above the clouds and before total darkness. The moon set was the same problem. I might have another jab at it to night and to-morrow morning. While I was trying to get a few more shots of the Portuguese Men of War, concentrating on the water ahead of the bow, I see this great big mammal just under the surface ahead of the bow. I thought it was a dead whale. But it did slowly move aside. Not sure what it really was. Green and brown, spotted, about 15 feet long. Small for a whale but far too large for a porpoise/dolphin. It never surfaced. I changed the lure and added weights to it but I was still moving too fast and it just drags on the surface. Please, pray for a fish. You all are so good at it.

I listened to to-day’s Tour de France, time trials in Mont Pellier. And read the de Hartog book. I must try and read all his English written books. The first part was about the urchins, 10/13 years old, so called sea-mice, that were part of a Botter crew. The botters were the leeboard shallow draft sailing fishing vessels used around the Zuiderzee. They have a special significance to me. My grandfather, and several generations before him and two since him, made the masts and blocks for the Botters. And on my web site there is a section about my association with a famous botter yacht, the “Groote Beer”. The story I am reading now is about Jan de Hartog rescuing torpedoed commercial vessels off the English coast, with his tugboat, during the 2nd world war.