18:47.55s 163:44.28e

Farr Gone Blog
Stuart Cannon
Fri 19 Aug 2011 03:42
I believe I have just invented a new sport. Showering while surfing. The boat is on a broad reach in great conditions, catching waves and blasting along with one reef in the main. The autopilot was handling it well and I was well overdue for a shower. Trying to shower while going to windward is out of the question as you would be weightless half the time and squashed on the floor the other half as the shower is in the bow of the boat. Going downhill though it's possible or so I thought. Well no it is possible, but it involves timing, coordination, reflexes and balance. Whatever you do don't drop the soap. If the boat rounds up on a wave, which it did a couple of times you get thrown against the wall so getting the feel of the motion of the boat is critical to avoid injury. The entire episode was very amusing and I even went for extra points by having a shave. Truly a gold medal performance. And the shower made me feel much better.
The sailing is brisk and fun. I'm so tempted to put up a kite as the speed would increase a lot but then I'd have to get it down and that is very risky on your own. Still it's fun without it too. Making excellent progress today. Passed Recife Petrie this morning at first light and am about to enter la grande passage which sounds very impressive but it's actually just big. Then there is a bit of a minefield of banks and reefs to sail around. While there is 700 nm to go that distance will probably increase a lot as there is quite a bit of zig zagging to do.
Farr Gone has averaged 7.5 knots for the last twelve hours so we are in the running for a good score today. I believe though the wind will change going through and out the other side of the passage as the island of New Caledonia apparently effects the wind markedly.

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