I left Cascais, Portugal and slipped into the open Atlantic late-afternoon on Friday. After reviewing the latest weather forecast, my thoughts turned to fuel … so I stopped and purchased four more containers and filled them up on the way to the marina. I think I now have enough fuel to power me through light winds until I can fall in with the trade winds that will carry me home – though that may not happen until I get a couple hundred miles southwest of the Portuguese island of Madeira.

An earlier photo of sunset … as I won’t be able to transmit photos while at sea.

The seas have been pretty large, churning waves left over from the previous storm I had to wait out in Cascais. Now, with winds at less than 10 knots, the seas still push us around a lot. Other than that, it’s the constant drone of the engine and the wondering about what might lie ahead. Presently, I’m making about 170 miles a day, though Bodacious Dream can do 250 easily, if the winds and directions are good.

The air temperature is not too cold; a light jacket suffices. The skies last night were beautiful – full of sparkling stars and large breaks between the clouds. Today, the sun was out for much of the morning, then cloud cover moved in, and if the forecasts are correct, it will be like this for a couple of weeks. Then, once I get closer to land, I may run into some snow! So I’m enjoying the extended fall while I can.

My food stores are plentiful … lots of fruit, cheese, chicken and beef jerky to augment the freeze-dried dinners. Then there’s my chocolate stash, carefully calculated to last the trip. Beyond that, there are a few extra treats reserved for “momentous” occasions. Meeting up with the trade winds will likely bring out the Chips Ahoy cookies, while reaching important one-quarter and halfway markers, may need to be celebrated with Hershey’s dark chocolate kisses.

– Dave