We left Ponta Delgada yesterday morning and it was absolutely windless outside. So we motored the entire length of the island since we were in the lee of it. When we got out beyond the end, we turned off the motor although the wind was barely making ripples on the water. We drifted along and for a while 3 knots was grounds for celebration. As the day progressed, it very gradually increased until by sunset we were doing 4+ knots. Of course, the seas were completely smooth and so it was certainly mellow. A few nights ago I saw a shooting star and wished for a mellow and safe voyage. Sure can't deny the mellow part. We are reading and of course, eating really well.
This morning our speed is up to 5+ knots and we made 100 miles in the last 24 hours. That is really slow for us, but we only used about 4 hours of fuel, so thanks for the wind anyway. Today should be better. We have the jib out on the spinnaker pole and the boat is steering dead downwind. Portugal is 695 miles away. We slept well last night. For me, the first day is always the hardest because I am too keyed up to sleep. As the routine of standing watches settles in, we get more rest. All the weather faxes suggest light winds for the whole passage, around 10 knots much of the time. But mellow is OK. Who ever got scared by mellow? This is really pretty nice!
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