Nereida's Birthday - 9 yrs old today! (Happy 4th July to my US friends!)
Made good mileage overnight & yesterday: 155miles in 24hrs .
Conditions getting more variable - wind often dropped overnight last night and again (even more so) tonight - boatspeed keeps dropping down to 5.5 kn. or less. During daytime, I lashed the pulpit to support the port side where it was damaged over Sat night, ready to hoist spinnaker. But wind got up sufficiently during morning not to need it, finally hoisting it around 1.30pm. We're definitely in the trades now - wind is consistently NE4 (around 15-18kn). Windpilot Hermann is coping well - I just need to adjust slightly from time to time as the wind moves around in gusts. As the evening wore on, the wind dropped - so by midnight, I was surprised to find us doing well over 6kn.
Thought I'd resolved my SSB problem - but had great difficulty being heard at 9am rollcall - finally, Paul on 'Hesperus' heard me calling so was able to relay my details. The radio didn't seem to have the volume it used to have - and I couldn't get through last night or this morning to a Winlink shore-station. I finally wriggled back under the radio to investigate the rear panel connections - sure enough, I must have moved one which was very loose - I pushed it back and that seems to have done the trick - Winlink stations responded and I was finally able to download my emails and up-to-date weather info as well as chat to several people within range - that was very nice. Spoke to Rob on 'Tiger Beetle' at roll call - but he found it very difficult still to hear me - others closer by relayed.
Found 2 baby squid on foredeck from last night - two today & one yesterday... Be able to have calamari rings soon at this rate! No more fresh milk though - what we had has gone off.
Notice that the fridge seems to be struggling - making funny noises - seems the compressor isn't able to do its job easily.
Seems very hot - so I opened the front cover to where the motor is to let air circulate better. Add that to the list of boat projects!
I hear England were beaten and are out of the Football World Cup in Germany.
Decided to cook a good meal before rollcall: eggs, gammon, tomato, potatoes and lots of onions.
Nearly saw a sunset tonight - but gap that appeared in clouds wasn't quite large enough! It's been quite cool up to now, although the air and sea temps have gradually risen - air to 21C and sea to 21C also - amazing!! At this rate, I'll be able to have a swim in the sea soon!! (2 people at least dipped into the sea from their becalmed boats a day or so back - one tied to the boat, the other not....)
AIS is showing not a single ship in the area, must get some rest.