It is Friday morning in the UK and the weather over Biscay is looking good for the next 48 hours. The fax segment above is for 000GMT tonight, and shows a high building in Biscay. The Met office is forecasting low pressure to develop Sunday/Monday with strong southwesterly flow. Easy answer, go now.

But there are complications.

As you will no doubt know, it is Friday, and we never leave on Fridays, or at least that has been the case in the past (with one bleak exception). But if we wait for tomorrow there is a good chance we’ll have to fight our way south for half of the trip. Or, if the “normal” weather pattern reasserts itself it will be a succession of closely spaced southerly gales during the next three months.

Jack lines are lead, storm covers are in place, electronics are warmed up. We are secured and ready to go to sea. We’ve had our oatmeal and coffee, and meals for the next two days are prepared.

And we think we have the antidote, actually several. First, younger daughter Sarah who is on tour in the Pacific Northwest has communed with the “devil-devil stick” and  gave us the go sign. Second, the last banana aboard was consumed this morning. Third, we found our Spanish flag on the first try, always a  powerful omen.

Finally, we are not really superstitious, except during basketball season.

We’ll report if anything interesting occurs.