We're finally on our way to Madeira!  You can follow our progress at: 

https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Saltair

We left Brest at 3:30pm yesterday (Saturday, the 9th), well within our targeted departure window.  It is now 24 hours later and we're about 170 miles down the track towards our destination.  The breeze has been as forecasted -- extremely light and variable, so we spent the first 21 hours motoring in clear, warm conditions and a calm sea.  Then around 1pm today a nice breeze built from the SE, so we deployed our main and genoa and shut down the engine.  Since then we've been sailing at 7 - 8 knots roughly 55 degrees off the wind in a 1 meter sea.  This southerly breeze is expected to fade later tonight and after an extended period of no breeze (motor on again), we should eventually come into a nice northerly breeze that will carry us all the way to Madeira.  

With the new breeze, we're living life on a heel, which takes a bit of getting used to.  Our beds have "lee cloths" on them, to keep the occupant from rolling out.  And walking around the boat (even down below) requires some degree of concentration and careful footing.  

Our friends Chris (former Jam Session bowman) and Paul (friend of Henning's) have joined us for the passage, and we're rotating through three hour night watches and four hour day watches.  When motoring, watchkeeping is simple as the person on watch is primarily responsible for making sure that we don't hit anything.  When sailing, things are a bit more demanding as there are multiple sails to keep trimmed as well.  But sailing is so much nicer -- moving through the water with the motor off is so quiet, peaceful!  

Last night we had two interesting guardian angel episodes.  We had originally plotted a course that passed through a channel in some islands about 25 miles off of Brest, but approaching those islands we were hailed by the French coast guard inquiring as to our course.  We were a bit confused, as they kept asking if we were going to a particular buoy, and we answered "no, we're going to the pass marked on the chart".  They then suggested that this was a bad idea due to the strong local currents and steered us to the buoy instead.   It was interesting that they were monitoring our progress on AIS and radar.  Perhaps they have rescued a few too many sailors from that pass to let us attempt it!  

Then later in the evening we heard the same coast guard station hail a sailboat in our vicinity asking about their wellbeing given that they were adrift and not moving.  Turns out it was a solo sailor completing a passage from the Med who had run out of diesel.  He was trying to get to Brest.  He still had 40 miles to go and there was absolutely no wind.  He didn't sound in distress and the coast guard promised to keep an eye on his progress.  

Our overall passage is around 1100 miles straight line but will likely be more because we're heading off of the direct route to get to the better breeze.  We're currently thinking that we'll arrive some time on the 16th or 17th, but when sailing offshore, we've come to expect the unexpected so most likely that arrival estimate will change multiple times by the time we arrive.   

Our last sunset in Brest.

The crew on exiting the Rade du Brest

Lee cloths set up and ready in the master cabin.

Life on a heel!

Seth tucked safely in his berth, playing with the super cool robotics set that Paul gave him as a gift!