Today's pit-stop for a cappuccino with a very old friend -Alberto- who runs the new marina there. Now super hot. A quick dip to check the propeller - well that was the excuse. Soon the intrepid Save the Nerd team are off to Caprera to meet their sponsors. More on that later...........
Dawn on the sea between Corsica and Sardegna
With the weather this vile what is there to say? It's cold and drizzling so we are all locked downstairs and really keen to get there ASAP! At least the wind means we are moving well towards our goal of Gibraltar ETA May 31st at dawn..............
Position at 10.45 UTC 36 19 N 11 53 W apporx 300 Kn.miles to go
The Rock looking East -
Blue arrow marking Milanto's position at 10:45 so by tomorrow will be in the shipping lanes
10-15 knots of wind at her present position
This is why , in Medieval and Renaissance imagery Prudence holds a snake in one hand and a mirror in the other to see behind her. This has been our method for the last two days, slipping between one storm front and another, snake-ing along the edges of the 'eye'. We still had strong gusts of wind which tested the crew to the limit but the strategy set out by our tactically wily Captain Valerio appears to be a winner and we are now running along with 25 knots of wind. The genoa is 'butterflied' and the three metre rollers are pushing us towards the Azores. Having come out unscathed by the danger each and every one of us feels strengthened and happy to have been through this experience which really hit us hard and we are now stronger friends for it. The waves are breaking under strong sunshine and the whales are showing their tails in the distance.
Lorenzo
It is so pathetic -I actually dreamt about Facebook, the dream had no sense and was totally insignificant but it is still embarrassing even to write this! I cannot even post it if I wanted to until I arrive anyway. Beside the odd email that we are writing just to let people know we are alive we are totally out of contact. Last night Stefano and I tried to communicate with a passing Korean cargo boat. the reply we got was from an ancient old women who listed a litany of misadventures. So be it. The ocean is truly a weird place. Thirteen days now spent in 13 metres and we have not been driven mad......or maybe we just have not noticed! So I am leaving you with a question: if , in your spare time, if you had no social media, what you you get up to? Please go on the the Save the Nerd website and we will add your comments to our research and documentary.
Filippo
posiTion 32 03 N 39 37 W //detox 35%//- 650 miles to the Azores
Position at 22:45:04 BST 16 May 2014
I've had a thought going through my mind for days now-a swim in the ocean but i knew it was too dangerous and that our captain would never have compromised us.But hey, our fishing line got caught around the propeller and so, who is going to jump in? Obviuos choice -the Nerd. as it would be part of the detox treatment [they say] while watching my teeth chattering just at the thought of the freezing sea.,, full of jellyfish and if you look down -what do you see/ the abyss. Like looking into space but with no sun or stars However I do my job including brush ups with the jellyfish, climb back on board, check the GoPro video i took to show what i had done when -guess what? A large bit of rope, floating in hte ocean has got caught on the propeeler.So back goes yours truly -underwater holding my breath for 30 secs with a shrp but rusty knife to cut away the rope.The jellyfish get me aagain but hey, if I don't get a detox out of these experiences I never will!
Filippo
eery view in the middle of the Atlantic
We are now in the famous Azores' high pressure system.Total calm - flat sea with barely a wave. but we know that the storm is reaching us and than calm creates monsters! This 'oily slick' is making us nervous . At least when there is a storm we all have a job to do, make decisions and fight it. This way it just drains our energies and the deck is so hot that it is really uncomfortable to walk on .We cannot motor or we risk running out of fuel which could be needed once we get closer to land. And we know that a lot of rain and wind will reach us-seems improbable and daunting while we bob around going nowehere.
Lorenzo
Posizion: 30 54 N 47 17 W // Detox rating 23%
too hot to handle
Today Rai Italy[the state broadcasting corp.] will be calling us to have a live call on Radio 2 - programma Caterpillar between 18:00 and 19.30 .
www.caterpillar.rai.it/podcast
POS at 13utc 21 03N 55 51W DISTANCE TO GO 1756M
