Day 100 – Improving

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 23 Mar 2022 10:01
Noon Position: 44 21.6 S 051 49.8 E
Course: ENE Speed: 6.5 knots
Wind: WSW, F6 Sea: moderate
Swell: WNW 2.5 m
Weather: cloudy, occasional shower, cool
Day’s Run: 150nm (120nm of Easting)

Yesterday afternoon the wind was mostly fresh from the SW which had us making good a course of NNE, a bit more north than I really wanted, but to have altered course to the ENE would have meant a gybe and I did not really feel up to it. In any event the wind was forecast to veer more into the W and tomorrow is expected to veer further into the NW and then N. So, leaving things alone, Sylph will follow the wind and end up heading more east by herself. Indeed, with strong N’lies forecast for tomorrow we will inevitably be pushed back south again, so it will all balance out in the long run. The only real down side is that we won’t have made as much ground to the east as we might have done if we had maintained our planned track. But we are in no particular hurry. For now we continue running before a strong breeze from the WSW fine off our port quarter, two reefs in the main, staysail set, and 50% jib poled to port.
The main battery bank remains critically low so I need to conserve energy which unfortunately includes power-hungry computer time and blog writing. On the plus side, I was able to conserve my own energy with a relatively good rest last night and am feeling much better today. I managed to bake a loaf of bread this forenoon which always gives a bit of a boost to ship’s company morale. I suspect I will just have to take things a day at a time for the next couple of weeks until I am confident that my illness is fully resolved. But for today I am happy to say that …
All is well.