Heading in the right direction - Brazil? / Ensuenos 11
Ensuenos
David Charity
Thu 2 Dec 2010 15:15
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30:36.89N 31:06.57W
To Diary,
At this moment in time we are heading straight for
Brazil (Belem) at the mouth of the Amazon, which is 400 miles nearer than St
Lucia! As we move further south we are still seeking the elusive trade winds to
take us west. Previous years the simplest and quickest route has been to run to
latitude 20degsN before turning right. We are now at 13degsN steering a
south-westerly direction - this being the best option under sail, which is
400 miles further south than usual.
We are of the opinion that to be south is best and
that the boats in the fleet that are further north may find it more difficult
later. The wind patterns we are experiencing are most unusual for this time of
the year. Life onboard is good and we are very relaxed. The parasail has been
flying now for two days and our aim is to conserve as much fuel as possible. We
started with 1000 litres and so far we have used circa. 600 (and tomorrow is the
halfway point!). Each day we need to use fuel to power the generator for at
least 3 hours to power batteries and make water. Our fresh veg has almost gone,
but we still have plenty of fresh fruit that is keeping well.
In contrast to the weather reports from the UK, it
is now extremely warm. Even on night watches we sit outside in our
shorts/t-shirts and enjoy the breeze. It is the best place to be as it gets very
warm down below.
Keep warm as we try to stay cool.
With best regards,
D.J.C
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