Salty Dawg Rally Day 6

The wind clocked around overnight and now it is blowing from the north at about 10 knots. The glassy seas that we had yesterday are now starting to chop up.

I got lots of sleep last night from about 9pm until 5 pm in half a dozen one to two hour intervals. I figured I will not be getting any sleep tonight.

I started reading a "Michael Palmer" thriller last night and immediately got hooked. There are some writers who can make mundane stuff so interesting.

This morning I have decided to have a cooked breakfast. Porridge & an egg with my coffee outside in the cockpit watching the sunrise. It doesn't get any better.

I have the boat all buttoned up with a very conservative sail plan. I could be going a lot faster but with squalls about I'd rather take it safely.

Sometime today I will pass our halfway mark with 700Nm to go and 600 down. We had a 100 mile day yesterday motoring, but today it will be pure sailing.

The SSB net this morning was a bit of a mess with multiple people all talking over the top of others. It sounds like quite a few rally boats have dropped out.

Just transferred one of my 5 gallon jugs of diesel into my fuel tank to get the weight down lower. I have 2 left now which means so far I have used 20 gallons.

Going into my 6th day, my ship's stores are in good shape. I had to throw out half a bag of lemons but all the other fruits and vegetables are in good condition.

I just realized I had not mounted my running backstays. I even put the leeward one up. The rigging will need all the help it can get for tonight's blow.

I'm going all out for lunch because it might be the last decent meal I get for a while. Herring fillets in curry pineapple sauce, couscous, roasted garlic & brussel sprouts.

I just saw a flying fish. Often times they will fly onto the deck at night and in the morning you use them for bait. It's the same as birds flying into glass. Sad.

It is a beautiful day with puffy white clouds skipping across the sky, but there is a big black bad looking squall that is behind me that I hope will go away.

Well you never know how these things are going to go and it looked like it would pass me by so I grabbed my jacket. Well big mistake! That squall hit me hard.

Wind starting to build. Grabbed a can of cold tomato soup for dinner. All hands on deck!

Well I am still waiting for some serious wind. Friends on a boat just north of me have 25 knots so it is on its way shortly.

Slept for an hour or so and weather still not bad. Getting along at 5 knots in 15 knots of wind. Very nice ride and warm out. No rain or squalls.