Once More Into the Pacific

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sat 12 Jun 2010 22:40

Position: 46 03.0 S 075 31.0 W
Course North, speed 5 knots
Wind: East F4 moderate breeze
Weather: overcast, occasional showers, cool
Day’s Run (8 p.m.) 36 nm

This morning the wind was still blowing strongly from the north and rain was lashing down. After a quick look outside I returned to my bunk for a few extra zeds. Later Ian popped over and we discussed the weather. The forecasts looked rather ambivalent with winds all over the place in our area but it didn’t look like anything rough was coming too soon, Ian was keen to go and as we were tied outboard of Ian I thought if he goes we may as well go too. At midday we let go our lines from Persimmon and motored out of the Caleta and into the ocean. Here we were initially met with a large confused swell and a light southeasterly wind to which we soon had some sail up and were running before. The sails slatted heavily but as we worked our way further off the coast the swell evened out and the wind has freshened from the east. I have just received the evening weather fax, which continues to look less than ideal but we are now committed to an overnight sail and shall just have to wait to see what unfolds. But for now we are making god progress in relative comfort in the right direction.

All is well.

Bob Cat:

It is a good thing that things have settle down, I had rather lost my sea legs after all this time in the channels and felt decidedly queasy there for a while. But now a gentle roll, the splash of the bow wave, and the soothing creaks of a sailing vessel underway make the V-berth a very comfortable place to … zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.