(no subject)

Dear friends!

This is my first try to update our blogg via our short wave radio! We have now been sailing for 10 days. The first days we almost made no progress at all. Our velocity made good was below 1.5 knots. The wind was coming from the worst direction, north east that is, and around 30 knots. It was a very rough start on our journey.

Since then we have had various conditions and sometimes really good weather. Yesterday for example (April 20th that is) we set a new record! Two of them actually. The first record was 120 nautical miles made good on 24 hours! Incredible! The second was highest momentarily made VMG (velocity made good).

That's the problem with a sail boat. We can travel in almost any direction but the wind direction. When we have NE-ly winds we have to fall of to an angle of approx. 50 degrees, sometimes more, to the wind. Then it doesn't matter if the boat travels through the water with 6 knots, if we don't make it against our goal. The VMG is therefore low. When we travel directly against goal, the VMG equals the COG (course over ground, that is). Are you following me?

So you can all see what we discuss and do mostly onboard this vessel: weather, wind, more wind, VMG:s. What do we do but discuss weather? The gear on a boat that sails on three months what normal vacation boats do in three years is really put to a test and sometimes the equipment fails and need maintenance. We spend some time doing maintenance on the gear. Then we do read a lot of course. We have some spare time after all.

The days pass surprisingly fast. I have my watch from 12-4 a.m and p.m respectively. The night shift start with a cup of coffee. Then I sit down and look at the stars and try to wake up over my steaming cup. If it's calm weather it's really nice just to sit there and listen to music and enjoy the beutiful scenery of the Milky Way.

We will arrive later than scheduled to the Azores. We still have some 20 days of sailing in front of us due to our rough start. So I will write more soon, but for now I say:

Over and out from s/y Matilda and Urban. Auf Wiederhoren!