April 29 Day 10

Trip metre 4975

Distance to Horta 1723

Distance sailed 80 nm

Distance made good 67 nm

1300 UTC

Had good sailing yesterday.  Wind picked up and went from 1 reef to 2 and later 3 reefs.  Wind up to about 18 knots just forward of the beam, sailing too fast into quickly growing waves.  Slowed down to just over 4 knots to reduce pounding.  Wind slowly reduced and the reefs came out one at a time. By evening the wind went aft and got very light during the night.  Slow sailing on a calm sea.  Now running goose winged for the first time this trip.  Lots of clouds with some squalls in the distance.  There is very little sargassum weed now, only a few individual pieces from time to time.  I'm planning to head more north later today hopefully to go behind the lightning forecast to the north of me at the moment.    I expect rain though.  All is fine on board.

Goose winged.  Slipping along at 3 and a bit knots.