Cate

21st January 2025

Today we reached the 13 degree latitude having chosen to go south as it may help us avoid some of the wilder weather north of us.  We are the yellow dot on the tracking map so, as the smallest boat, we are doing very well compared to our fellow Vikings.  The fast group north of …

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20th January 2025

Last night was an incredibly beautiful night.  Before the moon rose the stars gave just enough light to show the horizon between inky black sea and deep grey sky.  The stars gave a dazzling display and phosphorescence reflected from the water.  Merryn glided through the waves with only the sound of the surf. We’ve settled …

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19th january 2025

Today is beautiful, warm and sunny with cotton wool puffs of fair-weather cloud dotting the sky.  The seas feel calmer although the swell is 2.5m, and we have a following wind of 15 knots blowing us westwards.  We have kept the same sail plan so Jonathan hasn’t had to do any scary boat gymnastics on …

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18th january 2025

Last night was pure torture.  It was quite windy so we reefed but this left us at the mercy of giant waves from two directions turning us off course and pushing us into deep troughs.  The slamming of waves and sail and the huge rolling pitches made sleep impossible.   Apart from insomnia all was …

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9th january 2025: Day 4

Last night our ideal downwind sail set-up took an early demise. The mounting seas and wind astern had us surfing and corkscrewing down the waves, putting a lot of strain on our genoa and spinnaker pole which gave up with a bang.  I was snoozing down below and heard the bang but Jonathan, listening to …

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7th january 2025: day 2

It’s the evening of our second day at sea and, so far, it has been magical.  The seas have been calm but the wind a little too light.  We’ve been trying several downwind sail set-ups – goosewinging the headsails, the main on preventer with a poled-out genoa or conventional set up depending on whether the …

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