• Date: 16 april 2025
• Time: 0800 BT (UTC -2)
• Position: 38 05 1 N  032 41 5 W
• Course: 090 COG
• Speed: 5.5 SOG
• Wind: 5 WSW

Today, an update from Wik:

We are 100 miles southwest of Flores, 190 miles from Faial, the island where Horta is. With an average of 7 knots in the expected winds Land is getting closer.

Yesterday afternoon we reefed the schooner sail under direction of Maria, coached by Marloes. So we experienced it is quite a job not only to know exactly what has to be done, when and by whom, but also communicating it in a way that everybody does the expected thing.  Maria managed us all, super!

Dinner afterwards on the aft deck, with party lights because the sun was set already. Christmas time according to Pete.

Of course Fredric the cook did again an inspiring dinner speech, a highlight every day.

After dinner a very special event: Katrin (Canada) prepared a message in an empty whisky bottle. We all contributed to the final text, in English, Dutch, German and Spanish. She made the paper with drawings.

With a nice speech she announced the throwing  of the bottle into the sea, but before that Nils suggested as a ceremony that everybody would hold the bottle for a moment, in silence, do wishes and pass it on. So lit by the party Christmas lights we had some solemn moments. And finally Captain Arjen threw the bottle with a firm gesture overboard. So to whoever reads this: have an extra look for whisky bottles if you’re on a beach somewhere around the Atlantic!

At first the sky was clear and the moon not yet risen, so we had a magnificent view on the stars. But strong winds came, with higher waves, speed up to 10 knots. Rain also, the sea and the air grey.

Poor dogwatch. During the morning watch the wind eases, dolphins keep jumping every now and then, and we can set more sail, schooner sail unreefed and outer gib set. 7 knots.

Going strong here!

Groet, vooral aan Ivet! Wik