Towards Stanley

Caramor - sailing around the world
Franco Ferrero / Kath Mcnulty
Fri 19 Feb 2016 18:15
51:47.0S 38:43.5W

Friday 1330hrs

After getting the most promising forecast we were likely to get, we decided to go for it. The plan was to head north for two days to get to warmer waters more quickly and pick up lighter and more favourable winds.

So far so good. Wednesday we set off on a close reach with one reef in the main sail and hove to for the night to reduce the risk of hitting an iceberg (we saw three that day).

Thursday full sail and close hauled. That evening the wind died as forecast and after changing course by ninety degrees and motoring due west for an hour we drifted through the hours of darkness.

Friday morning at dawn a light northerly breeze sprang up and we sailed on a beam reach at a genteel three knots. This afternoon the promised easterly force 3 arrived and we are scooting along at about five and a half knots withe the sails goose winged. Lovely, the last two days have been clear and sunny. Today it was even reasonably warm! The only fly in the ointment is that we have just sailed past the last in a group of three icebergs, so we will have to heave to again tonight.

Franco