Make and Mend

Day 3

Noon Position: 31.02.65N, 124.56.97W
Course: S (or as south as the wind will allow)
Speed: 4 – 6 knots
Wind: 8 – 15 NW
Sail: Twin headsails poled out full
Bar: 1019
Sea: NW 4
Sky: Fully overcast with some low rain squalls.
Cabin Temp: 68
Water Temp: 66

Miles last 24 hours: 139
Miles since departure: 441

Wind continues to ease, as per forecast. The deck continues gray and is punctuated only by infrequent rain squalls that leave a light lick of rain and punch up the wind to 15 knots, briefly. Otherwise winds are 10 knots and less and make for not unpleasant sailing, except that the headsails can’t hold on in the small swell and go thwap, thwap, thwap as Mo rolls.

But sailors share with beggars that they cannot be choosers. And so we sail on what we are given and are thankful when the squalls speed things up and quiet things down.

Besides, this is fine “make and mend” weather, the old square rigger term (I think) for a day set aside for chores, of which I have plenty in preparation for the voyage proper.

Frankly, it all still seems like practice. I am flying the twins (trimming and retrimming) for the first time since last summer. Am still getting used to all the new electronic gear. Each time I drop Watsy (Watt and Sea hydrogenerator) into the drink, I cross my fingers; will it work…again? Today, I made my first overcooked breakfast burrito blob, aka pancake, with peanut butter and jam, “overcooked” and “blob” being the result of not bringing the beautiful-to-cook-with cast iron skillet.

Not much to see beyond gray sky and slate water as yet. A few storm petrels keep their distance. One gadfly petrel of unknown make passed once about noon but found nothing worth a second look. A lone tropic bird, whose tail I could not identify, dropped in just now. Last night, squid looked back at me with coppery eyes as I made my donations to the sea. Beyond these infrequent visitors, we are alone.

And on we roll to the south.