The Bone of Satisfaction
The Bone of Satisfaction
November 25, 2018
Day 52
Noon Position: 54 56S 86 34W
Course(t)/Speed(kts): ExS 7+
Wind(t/tws): WNW 25 – 30
Sea(t/ft): W 10
Sky: Total, slate gray cloud cover
10ths Cloud Cover: 10
Bar(mb): 1000
Cabin Temp(f): 52
Water Temp(f): 40
Relative Humidity(%): 79
Sail: Twin headsails, poled out; reefed by two thirds.
Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 160
Miles since departure: 6829
Avg. Miles/Day: 131
Wind finally eased overnight, and by morning was 25 – 30 from the WNW. Our four-day blow had ended. Seas too had eased. The grand, high swell had moved on, leaving a field of great, collapsing, frothing lumps of water. Mo heaved.
By now we have almost all the southing we need for the Horn, and so, after coffee, I turned Mo’s head to the east, a dead run, and flew the twin headsails as deeply reefed as the poles would allow. In this way, we have made a steady 7 knots all day.
Relieved of deck duty, I gave head and face a bath in hot water. I shook out the rugs and cleaned the floors, which had become slick with salt slime from four days of wet foulies and boots being trekked around the cabin. I made a hot lunch, an unusual luxury, to re-ignite that internal glow, given the absence of the sun (the mean temperature in the cabin is now 50 degrees).
And then I sat and watched the waves and the white headed petrel surfing their crests and gnawed the bone of satisfaction, satisfaction with Mo and how we’ll she’d worked through a long bit of Southern Ocean heavy weather.
Cape Horn: 565 miles. Four days at this rate.
Beautiful. Congrats, with more to come as you progress …thanks for sharing.
while i know that there will be more challenges ahead, I have held my breath hoping you would “make the rounding” safely. I’m safe on the sofa, imagining seas and wind, and equipment issues. This ability to follow your travels, and travails, is what I look forward to everyday. Thank you.