A Day of Two Halfs

L'Esprit de la Mer
Dr Chris Bates
Thu 6 Nov 2014 23:24
27 83 044 S 175 05 48 E
We motor sailed in 3knt wind untill 7pm when dark clouds appeared from nowhere and the wind shot up to S/E 30knt . Just intime for supper and just as I had pondered in an earlier blog . We had met the tropical l low from New Caledonia. Things are at last improing aand the wind subsiding . In the midst of it all the reefing winch 'fell' apart and I was lucky to  catch the bits before they drowned. Reassembled now .My only spare fuel can broke free and was walking around the deck and is now in the cockpit . I usually resist taking precisely for this reason.
That said we held course and beat all night at approx 6knt . It' the reason for me haing a boat that will sail in all conditions.Daily run was 60nm most under sail