For a brief hour we had a perfect alignment of beam wind, calm sea and current. Quickly shaking out the three reefs in the main we had put in to stop the flogging sail, we sat in the moonlight, whispering along at 6 to 7 knots on a glassy sea with barely a breath of wind.
Position 14° 19.246′ N 55° 28.801′ E
COG 267T
SOG 6.6kt
Arbutus and Libert‚ proceeding in IRTC towards Djibouti. Nil suspicious incidents reported by any vessels and communicated with warships and multiple military aircraft. Bird O’Passage anchored at Socotra, Joana and Amenoz anchored at Djibouti. Acalephe about 50 miles SE of Sunny Spells but making up time. We aim to Rendezvous about 80 miles into IRTC.
Position 14° 18.607′ N 55° 34.627′ E
COG 277T
SOG 5.7kt
Wind has dropped to 10 knots or less in the late afternoon. Put three reefs in main to stop slapping of battens in the roll, but full headsail still out. Sea now very flat and gliding along at 5 to 6 knots in the moonlight, helped by almost a knot of current. We will probably have to start motoring later, but for now it is perfect.
Position 14° 18.607′ N 55° 34.627′ E
COG 277T
SOG 5.7kt
0725UTC+4.5 the log passed 9,000 miles. With another 827 miles to Djibouti it will probably be at 10,000 miles when we enter the Red Sea at Bab El Mandeb. We swapped the Navionics charts for ?Africa & Red Sea? yesterday, these will see us through to Cyprus, another 1,000 miles or so further.
Position 14° 02.668′ N 56° 52.403′ E
COG 287T
SOG 6.9kt