Right Tactic, Poor Execution

Day 140/18

Noon Position: 37 39S 164 21W

Course/Speed: E6

Wind: SW6

Bar: 1026, steady

Sea: SW8, big slow rollers from down south

Sky: Squalls

Cabin Temperature: 71

Water Temperature: 63

Sail: Motoring

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good: 106

Miles this leg: 2304

Avg. Miles this leg: 128

Miles since departure: 19,546

My tactic was sound: head east so as to stay in the wind and avoid high pressure to the north. But my timing was poor. I should have turned east many miles sooner, as the barometer, rising ever so slowly but always rising, foretold.

Wind diminished with the setting of the sun and continued on that trajectory until, at 3am, sails were banging more than not. I took them down and we drifted until dawn. I then rehung the big genoa in what, to the naked, unpracticed eye, looked like wind, but the sail failed to fill with anything except regret.

“I told you calms love company,” I said to Monte who, with nothing better to do, was flicking playing cards at passing petrels.

“They are mean ugly bastards, Senior. But sometimes they cannot be avoided. You have your books?”

“I have an engine,” I replied.

So, we’ve been motoring slowly since 7am.

In the afternoon wind came up at 15 from the south. I waited. For an hour. It remained steady.

I flew all the sails.

The wind died.

We are motoring again.

The day has not been an utter loss, however. After lunch I prepared head and face for hot weather by giving both a buzz cut. Refreshing. And I feel so much thinner.