Make and Mend

Day 70

Noon Position: 48 01S  36 23W

Course/Speed: ESE7

Wind: WNW25

Sail: Working jib, one tuck

Bar: 1011

Sea: W7

Sky: Overcast, Fog

Cabin Temp: 62

Water Temp: 50

Miles last 24-hours: 146

Miles since departure: 9079

After a fantastic three-day flight, the poled-out twins came down around midnight. Wind had faded with the day and shifted north, and I couldn’t bend that rig round any more without feeling silly.

We ran till dawn with the large genoa full and free, a breeze on the port quarter just strong enough to fill it. The sail glowed like a white balloon under a starry sky so packed with moonless light that Orion could almost hide in the clutter. Winds were 20 by morning and increasing, so I shifted to the working jib, which now has a tuck in it. Today has been soupy, alternating between fog and drizzle and, for a change of scenery, just plain gray, a seascape so dull the birds have retired elsewhere.

With Mo sailing herself, I’ve used my time to make and mend. Yes, even after the work done in Ushuaia, there’s still a to-do list. We’ve got some weather coming our way later in the week, so of special focus are the jobs that make us more ready for big wind and waves. For example, the electronics locker that took water during our knockdown in December is now gasketed with coax tape (good stuff, coax tape–lots of uses); the deck hatches have been resealed; the anchor locker and aft bilge have been inspected and drained (not much there, but good to have a baseline); and chafe on the Jordan Series drogue bridle has been repaired.

After days of trending north, Mo’s course now has some south in it. That’s because the coming low looks to be most intense in its upper half. My current strategy is to head down to 49S and 30W, likely there by Wednesday noon, and then trend due east. The low should roll over us on Thursday and give us strong S winds that veer to SW on Friday, allowing us to make our way back north. At least that’s what the long range forecast suggests.