South Westerlies?
Pemandia
Peter Fabricius
Tue 17 May 2016 06:31
Yesterday was quite frustrating with calms and my track on the plotter shows a wiggly course as I struggled (successfully) to keep sailing. The forecast talked on SW F5 emerging in sea area Pezann where I am at the moment. During the day I completely unshipped the reaching sail and all its gear, only to find I wanted the sail again later (but only used it for an hour). I am glad I unshipped it again though.
At bed time there was a gentle SW breeze that increased during the night. By 0100 it was 10k. At 0430 the autopilot lost concentration for a moment and we were hove to. The wind was just about up to F5 so I put a reef in the main. V glad to have in mast furling as it was dark, raining and generally rather horrid. However doing it all from the cockpit my pyjama trousers did not even get damp!!
At 0630 I had breakfast and then unreefed the main. The wind has already dropped from 22k over the deck to 14 and has shifted N of W so I don't quite know what is happening.
Anyway, I am fine, fed, warm and dry although a bit more bounced around than I was.
Peter