We are over half way to Bermuda. After our stormy start, the wind has moderated but unfortunately has been blowing persistently from Bermuda. After motoring for 27 hours, we have had to start sailing and are currently cracking along at 6.5 knots but in the wrong direction. This is not helped by the gulf stream which is pushing us at over 2 knots northwards. We now expect to arrive in Bermuda on Friday.

Crossing into the gulf stream was pretty dramatic. We decided to monitor the temperature of the water and were astonished to see the temperature rise from 19 degrees C to 24 degrees C over a three hour period, and then to  an amazing 29.5 degrees C over the next three hours. It is still holding at 27.5 degrees C 24 hours later.

Bird life has been very thin, but what we have seen has been rather exotic. We were visited and inspected by a long tailed tropic bird yesterday evening. Sadly we were also visited by an egret when we were some 150 miles from the shore in the storm. It tried desperately to land on the aft deck but kept landing in the water instead and struggling to take off again. We don’t hold out much hope for its survival.

The wind has at last started to veer taking us closer to our course for Bermuda.