Impala - LOG DAY 8 Frustration!

To: Wclg.6559.4.7900 Subject: IMPALA LOG DAY 8 Frustration!Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:36:56 GMTThis is the first of our logs via the world cruising club. We are west of the Cape Verde islands having come south in the hope of finding good winds as indicated by both forecasts and grib files. It has been a painfully slow route without a light wind sail we all wish for at least a cruising chute! Having made south we are still in light winds and making aroung 4.5kts and are a little frustrated.Compensations are dinner on deck (steak and roast vegetables last night)and an easy motion...The pleasures of sailing in these parts are the shoals of flying fish with irandescent wings, the dolphins playing around the boat and until now the seabirds including an egret lost 20 miles of the Cape Verde. read more...

Impala - LOG DAY 9

To: Wclg.6559.4.7900 Subject: IMPALA LOG DAY 9Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:58:26 GMTToday started with the most spectacular sunrise yet, lighting the entire sky in fluresent pink and purple for about 25 minutes. Calm seas and light winds set in after a brief rally of speed just before dawn, a far cry from the surfing the big Atlantic rollers in 22 knots of wind 36 hours ago.The clear winner today is the suntan! Relaxing on deck chatting and relaxing, this is the life. Excitement came when we caught our second fish, which was promptly killed by Kathy "friend of the fish" Smith pouring vodka in its gills and served up for lunch shotly after courtesy of Mike (who was staggering around grinning after giving the fish CPR in a heroic bid to save it!). Nick and Kathy tell us that pouring gin or. read more...

Impala - LOG DAY 10 WIND at Last

To: Wclg.6559.4.7900 Subject: IMPALA LOG DAY 10 WIND at LastDate: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:10:11 GMTTo: Wclg.6559.4.7900 Subject: IMPALA LOG DAY 10 WIND at LastDate: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:03:56 GMTWE have had a good run since dawn when the wind picked up and have run under full main and genoa poled out until this evening when we reverted to the twin headsails. The speed differential seems to be around half a knot in favour of the goose winged main mainly at wind speeds between 11 and 13 kts diminishing thereafter.Another fish got away. I was reeling in a small one when the pressure on the line increased considerably. A much larger catch but so large it broke the line...We are all enjoying the speeds of up to 8kts and seeing the miles go by.Callum and Mike have found that not only can they cook. read more...

Impala - Log: Day 11:Mikey's view..

Subject: IMPALA LOG DAY 11:Mikey's view.Date: Thr, 04 Dec 2008 17:17:30 GMTI can't beleive its day 11 already.... the days are passing really quickly. Back in Las Palmas during the fairly frantic preparation work time seemed to pass slowly. That is certainly not the case out here in the vastness of the ocean. It may be a factor of the Watch Routine. 4 hours on during the day and 3 at night which means we rotate through on a regular cycle with each of us being chef for a day.Much to my suprise I have enjoyed the challenge....of being chef, that is, and no doubt my family will be amused, wryly or otherwise. I have managed to pruduce a meal of roast chicken legs, spuds and beans with roast peppers and garlic; a spaghetti calabria (minus the tomato paste); and yesterday's triumph was salmon. read more...

Impala - Log: Day 12 - Kathy's take on a Bad Hair Day

Subject: IMPALA LOG DAY 12 - Kathy's take on a Bad Hair DayDate: Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:52:17 GMTSomething told me, as I was called from my bed at 0730 this morning, half an hour before my 4 hour watch was to begin, that it was going to be a bad hair day. All four crew were needed up on deck to change the sail plan from a fairly comfortable goosewing to a broad reach due to a change in wind direction. Impala had been wanting to sail 15 to 20 degrees south of our intended route, the signs were there during my previous 2000 to 2300 watch and throughout the night but now, with gusts of up to 30 knots of wind, it was time to act. With Impala mounting high swells we changed to sails and got onto a broad reach where, in the squall that then hit, we achieved well over 9 knots - much more like it. read more...