Wet, wet, wet...

DAY 13 - 7TH December 2007

Position: 15º 52' N 49º 47' W
Bearing: 285º
Distance to go: 655 Nm

We're still chasing the 20 kn trade winds some forecasts had promised, unfortunately they have heard us coming and disappeared. It had been frustrating sailing during the night with a confused swell and light winds. Once again our watch were given a free shower as the last of the night's squalls said goodbye. One hour into our 06.00 -12.00 watch we brought the twin headsails down and put the spinnaker up. It took until the afternoon to get the best out of it when the other watch managed to average over 8 knots.

The downside of sailing downwind is the lack of breeze from an apparent wind, and once again the sun was burning hot for the whole day.

The lighter conditions did have their plus side and so I took the opportunity to get some shots from the spinnaker pole and up the mast. There's a lot of trust in your crew as they gently control your descent from 40 feet in the air. The horizon looks vast and empty from that height as for the first time you are able to see above the waves.

I'm convinced the "Northern Child Cookbook" will be a bestseller, out here food is a big subject and something to look forward to each day. It's a good time for both watches to get together and chat, and after a soaking it's a great pick me up. Tonight's delight was a lovely green chicken curry.

Suitably refreshed and fed we were ready for our 18.00 to 22.00 watch. And you guessed it, down came the rain! I'm going to read the terms and conditions on the holiday brochure as I'm sure it said "Bluewater downwind sailing; just bring your t-shirt and shorts".


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com