The Stingy Sea

Day 45
Noon Position: 46 51S 106 41W

Course/Speed: ESE 5

Wind: WSW 18 – 28

Sail: Working jib only

Bar: 1006

Sea: W 10

Sky: Cloudy, a squall no and then

Cabin Temp: 55

Water Temp: 47
Miles last 24-hours: 142*

Miles since departure: 6020
*Due to a math error on the part of the skipper over the weekend, two hours had to be withdrawn from today’s run to get Mo into the appropriate zone time. Thus, our 24-hour run was more like 154 miles.

Our sweet westerly has some south in it today, a little too much for running poled-out headsails, which I dropped at first light. Since then we’ve taken wind on the quarter under the working jib only, usually full, or like now, reefed a bit as a squall passes. Velocities are 18 to 28 knots; for no apparent reason, the day can’t figure out how hard it wants to blow. Mo could carry far more sail, but I’m in a “let’s be conservative” mode again today. 

After sail changes, I made a big pot of oatmeal with peanut butter and dates and then set about cleaning out a couple galley lockers whose jumble has been bothering me. Three cups, two wine glasses, a measuring jar, and several plates, onboard since I bought the boat, have been requisitioned to the deep. And the galley counter and hanging baskets (also gifted to Neptune) have been cleared and contents stowed in now ample cupboard space. The galley is ship-shape. 

After that I sat in the pilot house to get a read on wind and waves…and fell asleep. So, I loaded myself into my bunk for an hour.

And suddenly it was 3pm. 

Gray and not one bird, save a shearwater before noon. I had thought we’d entered albatross country yesterday when three adult Wanderers (white below and above) patrolled near the boat for some time. As an indication of just how much wind the birds require to stay aloft for free, it was blowing 20 at the time, and they still flapped wings briefly between waves. Also gadflies, shearwaters, and our first southern storm petrel. 

Today the sea is being stingy. Not one bird. 

I’m going to let Mo follow this wind through the night and then in the morning we’ll make a course with more south in it.