Going Wide

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sat 28 Nov 2009 18:30
Noon Position: 17 56.0 S 037 24.3 W
Course: South sou' west. Speed: 5 knots
Wind: North nor' east F4 - moderate breeze
Weather: Partly cloudy, warm
Day's Run: 145 nm

We have enjoyed another good day's run though have ended up a bit further out to the east then I intended, but plenty of sea room out here with only South Africa to bump into several thousand miles away, so would rather be too far east then too far west. With the wind on the quarter it can sometimes be a bit difficult holding the proper course as if we have the wind too far aft the mainsail blankets the jib and then we need to bear away a bit more to pole the jib out and run wing on wing. So normally in this situation I stand on for a bit broad reaching until the lay line is more of a quarter run, gybe and then pole the jib out, which is exactly what we did this morning. We are now running wing on wing on the starboard tack.

All is well.

Bob Cat:

Starboard tack, what is that? All I know is that the chart table is no longer the comfortable place it was, with the open side now down hill my sense of comfort and security has been totally destroyed. Every time the boat rolls it threatens to throw me out on to the deck. Most unsatisfactory. Time to move back to the quarter berth, find a nice cozzzy spot in amongst all the skipper's stuff . . . Zzzzzzz.