Becalmed. This would drive Maxine bonkers.
We’ve had almost no wind today (6 Feb). Our speed has varied between 2 and 4 knots. I have stopped scouring the horizon ahead for a first glimpse of Trinidad, which is still 1,577 miles away, and accept that we will not do this transatlantic in 2 weeks. The pilot charts all show steady trade winds at 20 knots hereabouts, but they’re wrong. At this rate we will have another 3 weeks at sea. Crikey, it only took Christopher Columbus 5 weeks to do this trip in 1492.
Ian is beginning to ration his beloved red wines. That is a serious sign. He has to be in Sydney for Lucy’s wedding at the beginning of March, in less than a month. At fiveses tonight he mentioned that he had travel insurance and, if necessary, I could break his arm and get him air-lifted to Trinidad.
For now though, we have a warm, calm and moonlit evening, with Paul Lewis playing Beethoven’s op 31 and the last of Ian’s pre-rationed, excellent red wines.