Current Position: 13 04.169’N 126 16.989’W; Course: 180; SOG: 5.1 kt; TWS: 20.6 kt; TWD: 037; TWA: 141; Distance to waypoint (Hiva Oa): 1569 nm;
Comments: Last night was uneventful. Concerned there might be squalls at night, I left the jib mostly furled and two reefs in the main. Still, I averaged 5 kt to the S. At first light I sat in the cockpit for a while. The seas had calmed down, but I was surrounded by squalls and heavily overcasts skies. I was only doing 4 kt in 14 kt of wind, but I resisted the urge to shake out a reef, because the wind almost always picks up after sunrise. Instead, I let out half the jib (which better balanced the sails anyway) and made 5.5 kt, which I was satisfied with until I could learn what Nature’s plan was for the day. I was as right about the wind, which picked up to 21 and veered more easterly about 8:30, allowing me to point almost directly at the Marquesas (195) and make 5.5-6 kt, which given the sea conditions, was about all I could expect. Sea conditions have made it very difficult to cook, but I managed to cook some curry noodles last night and oatmeal this morning. More importantly, I managed to get most of it in my mouth rather than all over the galley. My 9:00 progress check showed I made good 118 nm to the waypoint, one of my best days, despite using almost no headsail and a double-reefed main. This is due to the fact my heading is now towards the Marquesas. I also lost almost exactly two degrees of latitude, as expected. PredictWind has not come around to my way of thinking and has modeled basically the course I am on. It looks like I will have these 20+ kt winds until Sunday, and then the winds will die down. Starting next week, I’ll have to deal with the ITCZ. Once I know I don’t have to deal with wind gusts over 12 or so, I will break out the asymmetrical spinnaker. I have been following two other boats that left Cabo about the same time. Both chose to go south earlier. While it is unclear whether that strategy will prove to be faster, it is clear they are dealing with more serious storms down there right now. I had some excitement about when I discovered one of the control pins for the wind vane had washed overboard and was being dragged behind the boat. I used a gaff to retrieve it and did some acrobatics off the stern of the boat (while clipped in of course) in big following seas to retread the line through the tubing and pulley system of the wind vane. While doing that, I noticed the part of the line that goes through the tubes was frayed to the point that the wind vane is not reliable if used unattended (for example when I am sleeping). As a friend told me, everything on your boat is broken, you just don’t know it yet. Like yesterday, the sun came out for a bit in the middle of the day, just in time to charge the house battery bank. Up to that point, I had turned off everything that was not necessary to pilot the boat (including the VHF, AIS, refrigerator, etc.). The afternoon was pleasant sailing with 15-22 kt wind. I averaged 5 kt with half the Yankee and a double-reefed main. I could probably gained more, but it was nice for a change not to thrash about. I was able to prepare hot meals.
Sent from my iPhone
Comments: Last night was uneventful. Concerned there might be squalls at night, I left the jib mostly furled and two reefs in the main. Still, I averaged 5 kt to the S. At first light I sat in the cockpit for a while. The seas had calmed down, but I was surrounded by squalls and heavily overcasts skies. I was only doing 4 kt in 14 kt of wind, but I resisted the urge to shake out a reef, because the wind almost always picks up after sunrise. Instead, I let out half the jib (which better balanced the sails anyway) and made 5.5 kt, which I was satisfied with until I could learn what Nature’s plan was for the day. I was as right about the wind, which picked up to 21 and veered more easterly about 8:30, allowing me to point almost directly at the Marquesas (195) and make 5.5-6 kt, which given the sea conditions, was about all I could expect. Sea conditions have made it very difficult to cook, but I managed to cook some curry noodles last night and oatmeal this morning. More importantly, I managed to get most of it in my mouth rather than all over the galley. My 9:00 progress check showed I made good 118 nm to the waypoint, one of my best days, despite using almost no headsail and a double-reefed main. This is due to the fact my heading is now towards the Marquesas. I also lost almost exactly two degrees of latitude, as expected. PredictWind has not come around to my way of thinking and has modeled basically the course I am on. It looks like I will have these 20+ kt winds until Sunday, and then the winds will die down. Starting next week, I’ll have to deal with the ITCZ. Once I know I don’t have to deal with wind gusts over 12 or so, I will break out the asymmetrical spinnaker. I have been following two other boats that left Cabo about the same time. Both chose to go south earlier. While it is unclear whether that strategy will prove to be faster, it is clear they are dealing with more serious storms down there right now. I had some excitement about when I discovered one of the control pins for the wind vane had washed overboard and was being dragged behind the boat. I used a gaff to retrieve it and did some acrobatics off the stern of the boat (while clipped in of course) in big following seas to retread the line through the tubing and pulley system of the wind vane. While doing that, I noticed the part of the line that goes through the tubes was frayed to the point that the wind vane is not reliable if used unattended (for example when I am sleeping). As a friend told me, everything on your boat is broken, you just don’t know it yet. Like yesterday, the sun came out for a bit in the middle of the day, just in time to charge the house battery bank. Up to that point, I had turned off everything that was not necessary to pilot the boat (including the VHF, AIS, refrigerator, etc.). The afternoon was pleasant sailing with 15-22 kt wind. I averaged 5 kt with half the Yankee and a double-reefed main. I could probably gained more, but it was nice for a change not to thrash about. I was able to prepare hot meals.
Sent from my iPhone