Vega - Bowling Alley

Bowling Alley - 10th May

Vega

Hugh and Annie

Thu 11 May 2017 02:38

Yesterday Annie worked out that if we can maintain 5kts we can be in Fatu Hiva on Saturday. Given that we need to arrive in daylight it will mean another night at sea if we go any slower. We had been running along under just the genoa; more sail was called for. The cruising chute is not an overnight option for us so we opted to pole out the genoa to port with the mainsail on a preventer to starboard. With the wind from the east this meant we should be able to sail down the rhumb line and adjust easily if the wind veered to ESE as forecast. No sooner was this arrangement in place than the wind increased and backed to ENE. We were already late for supper and so we furled the genoa and ran under just the mainsail whilst we cooked and took stock. Another squash creation, paella this time with chorizo in the best Jamie Oliver tradition.
After supper the wind was no stronger so we let out the genoa with two reefs and found that the two sails together held our course much better. So there we were with our tried and tested downwind rig of reefed mainsail and poled out genoa, zooming along at 5-6kts in bright full moonlight and not a squall in sight. And I discovered that with a pillow and a blanket you can sleep quite comfortably in the cockpit and still be on hand should the need arise.
This morning we were chased by large squalls. It was like being a pin on a bowling alley with great black balls of cloud and wind firing down. Mostly you could follow them down either side and then wait for the next one to come rolling towards you. A direct hit was more benign than on Monday. The wind would rise to no more than about 20kts but significantly would veer to the ESE, helping us along in the right direction. This afternoon the squalls have gone - apparently there is a stationary weather front sending them across our part of the Pacific - and we have bright sunshine and wind of between 15 and 19kts. We could easily arrive on Saturday morning and at this rate will have to slow down to avoid arriving in the early hours.
All the yachty talk is of arrival and those already there and sitting back with a cold beer are being tactfully reserved about how wonderful that is. For our part we are now enjoying the passage more than we were when the fabulous sailing still meant three weeks more of the same. It's like being on holiday when the frisson of heading home adds excitement to the remaining days.
On this passage Annie has resumed saxophone practice with a rekindled enthusiasm. I must admit it is lovely to hear her technique and proficiency improve daily - please read with intended sincerity. It puts me to shame as the sextant, guitar and whistles remain safely stowed away. If ever there was an opportunity to get to grips with the sextant this was it - blown. I know I am not alone in this regard and we had a salutary reminder of how foolhardy this could turn out to be because one of the yachts up ahead lost all its electronics in a thunderstorm. The sat phone survived so maybe the oven really does act as a Faraday cage. We came across a yacht in Panama to which the same thing had happened in the San Blas islands.
Time now to think about how to be ever more creative with the squash for tonight's supper.