Wind
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sat 16 Mar 2013 05:48
Noon Position: 38 46,1 S 142 48.5 E
Course: North nor' west Speed: 6.5 knots
Wind: South sou' west F5-6 fresh to strong breeze
Seas: moderate Swell: South west, 3 meters
Weather: cloudy, passing rain squalls
Day's run: 30 nm
The wind has arrived. We drifted all of yesterday and most of last
night, but at five this morning I could hear the ensign fluttering, a good
indication that we had a breeze with sufficient energy in it to keep the sails
full despite the significant swell. In anticipation of strong winds today,
yesterday afternoon I took the precaution of changing the headsail down from the
genoa to the number three jib. I am glad I did, for while the breeze
started out gentle enough within a couple of hours it had freshened
significantly, sending showers of spray over the bow and coach-house and
starting up a very annoying drip right over the dinette table, where I spend a
large part of my day staring at this little computer screen. The leak is
one of those jobs I have been meaning to do for some time but have always
managed to put off. The drip had gotten sufficiently bad however
that despite the regular cascades of water being thrown over the boat I decided
I would see if I could fix it. The problem is around the vent tube which
passes through the coach-house roof. I pulled the dorade off and used some
emergence epoxy filler to seal the joint. It took me quite awhile, during
which time I got totally soaked, and the leak isn’t completely cured but it is a
lot better. I promise myself when we get some fair weather or into harbour
I will fix it properly.
The wind is not as on the nose as I had expected so we have been able to
free the sheets a little and are scooting along under reduced sail quite
comfortably. The worst of the squalls associated with the front seem to be
over, the sun is shining, the sky is increasingly blue, and Cape Northumberland
is about eighty miles away. Here we will be able to bear away and ease
sheets even further, and by then the breeze should have eased a bit more and,
with a little luck, tomorrow we might have a nice downwind ride.
All is well.
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