This afternoon we sailed onto Admiralty chart no. 2 ‘The British Isles’, and are currently at the same longitude as Rockall. 

 

There is always an area of low pressure somewhere.  Tonight one is forecast to pass to the north of us, strengthening winds from the west.  We’ve just started to feel the effect of that now with wind speed, and boat speed, picking up a bit compared to this afternoon’s more gentle following wind. 

 

One of the most impressive bits of wildlife this year has been at the microscopic scale. It has been a particularly good year for phosphorescence.  On dark nights our wake has been brightly illuminated by the organisms in the water that cause this.  Mixed in with their light greenish glow has been pin point flashes of brighter light, presumably from larger organisms at the microscopic scale.  As Ruth discovered, on another year, if you flush the loo on a good phosphorescence night, the water glows and flashes and the tubing containing the water glows greenish.  I’ve been having some fun with that again this year.  We don’t get the same thing at home. 

 

55:09.82N 13:30.83W