So Ends the Gentle Ride
April 3, 2019
Day 181
Noon Position: 36 54S 34 25W
Course(t)/Speed(kts): NExE 5.5
Wind(t/tws): NxE 15 – 17 (straight 20 by 1400)
Sea(t/ft): N 5
Sky: Cumulus and a mackerel sky. (Heavy squalls by 1400)
10ths Cloud Cover: 5
Bar(mb): 1600
Cabin Temp(f): 77
Water Temp(f): 67
Relative Humidity(%): 81
Sail: Working sail, one reef. Two reefs by 1400.
Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 124
Miles since departure: 24,749
Avg. Miles/Day: 137
Leg North Days: 14
Leg North Miles: 1,799
Avg. Miles/Day: 129
Another slow night rewarded with a warm sunrise and delicately colored cumulus.
All changed by early afternoon. Now Mo pounds unmercifully into a growing sea. The wind is 20 knots and better from the N and as much as 25 degrees E. The main and number two have two reefs and are sheeted in tight. We are as close hauled as can be. From below it sounds like
World War III has just erupted out there. No one is comfortable.
I owe Mo another reef before sundown if this continues, but for the moment we need as much press of sail as she can hold in order to claw even 20 degrees of northing out of this. N winds to 25 overnight says the forecast.
So ends the gentle ride.
All these photos are so fun for me, just to see what you’re doing, and what it looks like on the vast oceans. You seem to tell a story with your photos, and today’s, ending with the sunset, was a delightful surprise!
Have you been replenishing your water?
Looks like you are sailing into a frustrating gradual header, which will be wonderful to tack on at some point! It may even be worth cracking off a bit to get to the new wind. I bet you will not miss the aluminium walls when you are done!!