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Fighting to Go West
  Photograph by Martin Hansen

  

Fighting to Go West

A Force 4 from the west and a south going heavy swell welcomed Tramontana back into the Atlantic. With a reef in the main the day passed fighting to go west. Evening heavy rain swept in along with an exhausted racing pigeon that circled four times before landing and taking shelter beneath the tender on the foredeck. I was fifty miles off shore as night fell. Zeta sent the pigeon on it's way at first light but I thought he'd survive as the day became sunny and blue with a light westerly breeze. The photograph shows the next 25 miles of westward progress made by day followed by a similar 'push back' from strong wind and swell the following night. Only during the twenty-four hours after that did the wind remain light enough to allow sustained westerly progress.
 

  
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