wind a plenty- sometimes

Moorglade's Voyage
Ted Wilson
Thu 9 Dec 2010 15:11
Our position is 13:20.56N 35:16.99W
24 hour Run Log trip
(through the water)
152.6Nm (our log seems to be about 6% high sine we had it out to
fix)
24 hour Run GPS (overground) 148.0Nm Midday wind and weather Force 3 NE Cloudy with rain squalls Sea state: Swell from the north with confused sea. Temperature: 30C Distance to go 1,410Nm We dropped the chute about 18:00 yesterday after
using it to great effect during the day. By the time we took it down the wind
was blowing at up to 18 knts and had started to back. The rest of the evening
and early night we enjoyed fast sailing, beam reaching with full main and
genoa, aries steering. When I took over from Peter at 02:00 the stats looked
good and 160 miles for the day looked very possible. As we worked our way
further to the north, making up for our fast off wind sailing with the chute up,
the Johann Smidt came back on the AIS and before dawn we could just
see her lights when were both on a wave crest.
This morning the weather has been disappointing.
First the wind dropped away and delayed the fried bacon in fresh baked baguette
breakfast while we hoisted the chute to keep our average going (we still had 160
in our sights). No sooner had breakfast been enjoyed than the wind came up
quickly to 20+ knots so down with the chute and reefed main and headsail. That
soon went and we were back to looking for wind. As the stats show we didn't
make 160 but still a respectable run for a 10m yacht.
Currently (15:00 UT) it is raining hard and blowing
well. I am sure it will not last and at least I am down below typing. The worst
thing about the inclement weather is that rain and spray keeps the hatches shut
so it gets very hot and humid below decks.
The outlook suggests plenty of wind for the next
few days, I hope it is a bit more constant.
Sorry about the lateness of this diary entry. Sail
changing,having a shower, washing the salt out of my wet clothes, sending
yesterdays diary entry again and trying to work out what might have gone wrong
all took up time. I hope this one works properly. Perhaps you could let me know
Kay.
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