Light Variability, For Example

November 8, 2018

Day 35

Noon Position: 30 18S 127 49W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): E 4

Wind(t/tws): SSE 5 – 6

Sea(t/ft): S 6, not much else

Sky: Complex cloud formations. Feels like a front coming.

10ths Cloud Cover: 10

Bar(mb): 1014, falling

Cabin Temp(f): 72

Water Temp(f): 67

Relative Humidity(%): 70

Sail: Big genoa and main, close hauled.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 106

Miles since departure: 4515

Avg. Miles/Day: 129

At noon I wrote in the log, “Light and contrary. Ug.” All night we ran dead downwind on poles and I star gazed through sparse, cottony cumulus before dinner. Orion is rising earlier; Cassiopea is sunk in the north and Cygnus is not far behind. I have yet to find Crux, the Southern Cross.

But the day brought change.

By mid morning, we were overtaken by a dark and squally system. Wind went from NW to SSW in a matter of fifteen minutes. Down came the poles, and we were close hauled in a 10 knot breeze.

By noon wind had gone SSE at 5 – 6.

At 3pm, the wind went NE at 8.

At 5:30pm, it went NW at 10 – 25 as a front moved through. Heavy rain.

Now it’s just N of W at 11.

That’s a powerful lot of sail changing for one day, and I doubt we’re done.

During a lull I was able to repair the main sail car that broke and spilled its bearings back in mid October. So, something besides line handling got done today.