The last 24 hours have been more pleasant sailing with only a few lighter showers and no real squalls. The more reasonable sea state and steadier wind has helped us to achieve a good days run with somewhat less effort. The genoa with it's sheet lead through a block at the end of the boom, which is held out by both the preventer and the redundant pole downhaul, is pulling well, although we will need to step up to the chute a bit sooner if the wind drops.

 

Our route to Barbados is punctuated by waypoints every 5degrees set on a great circle. I don't think we have actually visited one exactly yet as we always seem to be pushed one way or the other in our efforts to maximise our speed in the prevailing wind.

It is however rewarding to see these milestones being ticked off as we set the chartplotter to the next one. 50degrees West is our next target 256Nm away and so far we are sailing straight for it.

 

My task for yesterday afternoon, there always seems to be one, was to regrease and tighten up the ruddergland. Salt water had accumulated in the bilge and it was the prime suspect. Investigation proved this to be the case but to fix it was made much more of a task as all the stores remaining in Elsie's cot had to be taken out, a place found where they could be immobilised, and the cot dismantled, to gain access to the leaky gland.

It's not really surprising that it needed attention as the rudder has been on the move constantly correcting our track through the waves.

Since we started running down wind, 4 days ago, we have been steering using a combination of a small tiller pilot and the aries gear. The magnetic course is set on the tiller pilot, mounted on the aft deck, which then pulls strings connected to a drum on the aries which replaces the vane. The tiller pilot gives the directional input while the aries servo paddle provides all the energy to turn the wheel.  It seems to be working very well, keeping us on track even in the big seas, does it quietly unlike the autohelm, and uses very little electricity.

If this is the steering success story then perhaps the bags of bread mix bought in Tescos last July and stowed on board in individual plastic bags, have been the lunchtime success. Even though we are now out of salad, fresh baked bread with still a good choice of sandwich filling (salmon pate yesterday) makes lunch a meal to look forward to.

 

We all agree that the water maker is the other must have piece of kit. We keep our tanks fully topped up (just in case it fails) and since we have been sailing at reasonable speeds the duogen has been providing all the electricity needed.

 

Not a lot to report, a ship passed 10 miles or so behind us on Johns watch last night, but was not seen at that range.

Flying fish and the occasional bird are the only wildlife sightings plus an unidentified insect that appeared near Glens bunk yesterday afternoon. It continues to be hot and humid day and night.