Post 4

Day 3 of our transatlantic crossing - Rounding the Tip of Spain.

Sailing around the tip of Spain is an exhilarating experience that offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Biscay. Two days ago we embarked on a journey from La Rochelle, France, through the Bay of Biscay on our way to Madeira. With the wind now pushing us from the aft quarter throughout the night and this morning, we're sailing with ease on our Astrea 42-foot catamaran named Just Live.

The apparent wind speed is at 20 knots, generating a speed over ground of 7 knots. This means we're making good time and should arrive at Madeira in good time. 

Off way in the distance inland to our port is the Santiago de Compostela or Compostela, which is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century. Terri, Taylor, Cara, and I have talked about making that journey together in the near future. Since that won’t be before Taylor and Tyler are married in December, I won’t be the only guy on that one. :) Glad to have you coming onboard formally Tyler.

The beautiful blue sky day and clear turquoise blue water only add to the magic of our journey today. As we sail, we're navigating through 5-foot white-capped waves. The sight is mesmerizing, and the feeling of the waves “crashing” against the boat is exhilarating. We have the Genoa sail up with one reef, allowing us to maintain our speed, while ensuring that we're still in control. 

We're taking advantage of the favorable conditions, and we know that the winds are expected to lay down later tonight. How do we know? Our Captain Anthony has a Master’s in Applied Meteorology. Remember, I shared that keen intel in my last post. :)

We're planning to motor across the shipping lanes during the evening, which should make the journey smoother.  Sailing through the Bay of Biscay can be challenging due to the unpredictable weather patterns. However, today's journey has been relatively smooth sailing, and we're taking every opportunity to enjoy the experience. We're grateful for the stunning scenery, the refreshing sea breeze at 58ish Fahrenheit, and the sense of freedom that comes with sailing.

On the not so grateful side of things, I am cooking dinner tonight. And I am not talking about ham and cheese subs. Oh no, I have to make creamy chicken, bean and leek traybake, without an oven. I’ll try to attach a picture of the recipe. Thank goodness for YouTube. I’ll be using that to “phone a friend” as I put this dinner together. 

Time to go study on making this dinner!

Cheers,

Paul

P.S. Remember, you can click on this tracker link to follow us across the Atlantic on an interactive map via Iridium Go - thanks to Captain Anthony.