B 1-2 (Leg 1) – Day 3

(240 miles to go)

Howdy!  Yesterday evening and last night were really nice.  A little more wind than earlier Sunday, close reaching and flat water.  Makes it easy to move about the boat and tidy up.  I’ve gone from jib top, to A0, to jib top, to new #3.  Almost close hauled now aiming straight for Bermuda in about 12 knots of breeze.  I’m expecting to increase throughout the day and hold the direction, so it is going to get bumpy.

I feel like the fox being chased by the hounds.  The key points are the hounds are all bigger than me, and there are a lot of them.  I can see Solarus and Choucas on AIS, and they are both closing/passing by.  Concussion is around 8-9nm behind, but just dropped off AIS.  I know Upstart and Breakaway are nearby because I could hear them on the morning check-in.  I think it is going to be a tough ask to hold off these bigger boats over the next 240nm.  240nm!  That is a long way to go upwind in a 28 footer. Hoping the new GRIB this morning has a Christmas present.  Oh, and I’ve been battling a 1.5 knot adverse current for hours.  So, despite ripping through the water right now at 7 knots, it probably looks like I’m poking along.  If I can get clear of the current I will really start making some tracks toward Bermuda.

Lots of sleep and rest last night.  It was quiet sailing, so I just kept sleeping.

A flying fish landed in cockpit while I was sleeping.  Two other boats had the same thing happen last night.  A pod of dolphins visited yesterday evening.  That is always nice.  They are so fast.  I think I was disappointing in the light air.

Another mostly sunny day.  Batteries are getting fully charged during the day, and then I use around 22-24 Ah over night.

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