A rolly day yesterday, towards the evening it picked up again to 30 knots or so from astern, still we were still goosewinged with the pole out to starboard, i rolled most of the genoa up and realised that I had only 1 and not 2 reefs in the main so had to furl the genoa to come up into the wind enough to reduce to two  reefs in the main. We stayed like this overnight and at dawn, in my bunk in the saloon I was being rained on, the water being blown in through the hatch. I closed the hatch as a violent rain squall passed. The rain turned off the. Autopilot and we gybed all standing, the preventer cutting itself on the guard rail, I dashed up to the cockpit and took control in hand steering. Once we’d gybed back and re set the preventer we were back to normal and it looked like the squally weather had passed  with no harm done other than a slightly bent stanchion. Dolphins joined us once we were back to normal, they didn’t stay and play for long but, as always they are lovely to see. We had porridge and tea for breakfast, downloaded the forecast, more of the same and are now contemplating the day.
I’m struggling to finish a book - The ‘Utilitiy of Force’ but am on to the final chapter, hopefully I’ll get through it today and get onto something more interesting.
The wind is due to be astern all day with a quartering sea so it won’t be too comfortable. but we should make good progress, currently things are looking on schedule for arriving on the 9th at Horta.
Slainte
Jock, Patrick and Yemaya.