Becalmed Off Casablanca

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sun 27 Sep 2009 15:59
Noon Position: 33 46.4 N 008 05.5 W
Course: Southwest, Speed: 2 knots
Wind: West, gentle breeze
Weather: Sunny, warm
Day's Run: 33 miles

As predicted by 6 p.m. there wasn't even enough breeze to keep the drifter filled. By this time we were off Casablanca and we spent the next eight hours under the watchful eyes of the city's lights as we remained becalmed a few miles offshore. At 2.20 a.m. a light air, faint but steady could be felt. The sea was smooth by then with very little swell, we were rolling hardly at all, so I hoisted the drifter and the mainsail which had us lolling along at a sedate and steady two knots. We are still under the mainsail and drifter, the wind was very light this morning which had me hand steering for a few hours, I almost gave up and was ready to drop the sails and drift when the breeze picked up sufficient for the wind vane to be able to hold a course so we continue to sail. The wind is a nice steady six knots, at the upper end of the envelope for the drifter, but we are making good 5.5 knots so we will hang on to it for now. Hopefully the wind will hold overnight. I shall keep my fingers crossed.

All is well.

Bob Cat:

I am starting to recover from the rude remarks of two days previous, my pitiful cries remain unheeded but at least the skipper doesn't look too dark today so I reckon I can do what the he's doing with that big red sail up the front, push the envelope a bit. But for now we sleep . . . Zzzzzzzz.