Upwind now 42:43N 20:31W
Millybrown
Mark Hillmann
Wed 17 Jun 2009 19:38
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After two days downwind we have slowed again. This
time yesterday we were sliding downhill at 6 knots with 8
showing occasionally. The wind vane does remarkably well,
with the main and genoa one side and the staysail boomed out the other. I
would be losing concentration and gybing or backing the staysail after an
hour or so, but the vane is tireless.
There was a preventer on the main and the long pole
on a small staysail is less sensitive than on a full genoa. I could adjust the wind vane 20 degrees either way
without touching the sails.
At 7 this morning the daily weather change
came through, but this time it was a front not a calm. It was down to the
wet misty stage when the wind veering 90 degrees got me outside.
Pole down and harden up the sheets as the wind came ahead. 3 or 4 knots
now.
Did I ever say that I enjoy sailing? Here I
am in the middle of the Atlantic, 750 miles to the Scillies and no particular
deadline but as the wind came ahead and started to increase, a clearing and some
sun showed under the cloud. Sailing weather. I was tightening the
main halyard, pulling down the flattener, moving the staysail and genoa
fairleads to get them both working. Up on the foredeck to see if they
looked right.
Why? These are the old sails. If I want
to go faster I could put on the new main: Four battens would be better
than one and a half and the new genoa (5 year old) is much better than this
old one. That staysail came from France with my last boat,
perhaps 15 years ago and was old then. No, its not that:
I happily rolled away the genoa leaving the staysail and one reef to
allow cooking for lunch later. It is having this big toy to play
with. How do you sail a cutter when you cannot see the
genoa? Is it faster or just more bits of string to play
with?
More easterly wind showing on the forecast so I
will have time to play. Still it should be the Scillies before
July.
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