This is classic trade wind sailing. The wind has been N/NE for days and a steady 15-18 knots. Everyone has had a turn at the wheel and most of the crew are getting the hang of keeping the spinnaker inflated as we surf the waves. I'm struck by how land smells. Each place has a unique scent, something you only realise after being on the odourless ocean for an extended period of time. When we reached Portugal, the crew noticed a spicy exotic smell that first heralded. In some parts of the Med, the air is laced with pungent herbs. Yesterday, when we were still 20 nautical miles off the coast from Western Sahara, we could smell the tang of the coast; salty and seaweedy. Further along the shore was the unmistakable pong of vehicle fumes from a developing city.
We've a good wind for now, but soon we will have to turn our back to Africa and sail away from the coast, striking out into the deep ocean. We are not even a 1000 nautical miles into a 5,000 nautical mile journey, but spirits are high and the boat is going well.