We are currently 230 NM from landfall in Lanzarote. The trip has been a mostly light air affair with plenty of time for sleeping, eating, stargazing a very dark sky and dodging the occasional Moroccan unlit fishing boat. Tomorrow is promising more wind from the West, so we are sailing slightly further West to set up for a more comfortable angle for the final approach.

Getting out the famous Strait of Gibraltar was a slow affair. Due to evaporation and lack of rivers feeding the Med, an estimated 1,000.000 cubic meters of water flows through the surface of the 10 NM opening between Europe and Africa every second. I think that is 270 Million gallons per second, but someone might want to check my math. Regardless, lots of water flows in, so it is like getting out the Golden Gate Bridge on a strong flood, just this one you are in for what seemed like 50 Miles.

So.....we have had time to prepare our 'Tips for Cruisers', part 3 while under way. This one relates to proper sailing attire for the cruising couple.

Most yacht magazine photo's will show some tan dude behind the wheel with smart sun glasses, stylish wind breaker, white collared cotton shirt, shorts or high tech foulie pants and raw leather deck shoes. He will be confidently smiling to his gf/wife dressed in either a skimpy bikini or some Aqua blue hooded jacket, red silk blouse and Capri pants. She will be wearing a headband to organize her blond windblown mane.

Well, not so on Tivoli. First of all, nobody has been anywhere close to the wheel since we put up the main sail in the darkness of Gibraltar Harbor 2 1/2 days ago. Autopilot has been dong 100% f the work, giving us more time to watch movies. ( Judy is right now finishing 'Die Untergang')

Judy's preferred outfit at night seem to be slightly to moderately stained black fleece pants, a tank top or t-shirt with multiple stains and a white sheep skin like jacket with both spaghetti sauce and grease spots - I seem to remember her wearing that jacket in Mexico on night watch 5 years ago, so maybe the stains are salsa? To complete the outfit, she is wearing brown moccasin slippers. Daytime outfit is similar, sans the slippers and stained pants.

I laid out 4 t-shirts before the trip, all of which cannot be worn in public anymore. So rather than throw them in the dirty laundry each day, you simply take them off and throw them overboard after wearing. Same goes for underwear that has lost all elasticity!. So far I have ditched a Denny's Delight grey Regatta one with blood and grease stains, a Beneteau rendezvous blue one with a rip in the left arm and some white Oracle shirt with a collar that somehow turned grayish and frayed. Daytime pants are Walmart 'Batman Boxer undies" , originally very colorful but now faded, night time stained black fleece. Oh yeah, and my trusty slippers.....

So tip # 3......don't forget your slippers!