Getting my Sea Legs

Day 2

Noon Position: 33.20.09N, 125.04.25W
Course: S
Speed: 6-7 knots
Wind: 12 – 18 NNW
Sail: Twin headsails poled out full
Bar: 1019
Sea: NW 6
Sky: Partly Sunny, squalls, some rain
Cabin Temp: 65
Water Temp: 61

Miles last 24 hours: 157
Miles since departure: 302

The issue with Monte (the Monitor windvane) turns out to be user error. No big shock there.

At about 9am, I removed the water paddle to inspect for flaws in the latch, the spring, or the mount and, finding nothing obvious nor any visible difference between the old latch and the new one, I opted to replace the old one.

Mo has been sailing sweetly ever since.

Only then did I read the manual. Well! In section 6.5.1 are mentioned techniques for massaging the latch into place, here defined as taking to it with a meaningfully weighted hammer. I had intuited such need at 3am and have just such a hammer but had been whacking on the wrong part of the latch, hence my reference to user error.

Early in the day I reached out ot Mike Scheck, owner of Scanmar, who was kind enough not to chide me for my failure to pay attention.

As I’m loath to switch back to Otto (autopilot), who is faithful in his duties but is a whiner and drinks up all my juice when I’m not looking, I’m in no hurry to go back to the new, stronger latch…but will when the weather moderates and before I get to the true south.

Interesting how attitudes can change. Departure day and the day after were rough, emotionally. I’d have given anything to turn back. The Figure 8 felt too much. Crazy to think I could ever…

But today, after a long, deep, and delicious sleep (first long sleep in months) and a big pot of curry, and after putting Mo before the wind with her headsails flying like the giant wings of the Albatross, today…I’d be satisfied if today went on for a good many to come. Which, lucky me, is exactly my lot.