Day 137 – Wind

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Fri 29 Apr 2022 08:44
Noon Position: 04 40.4 N 069 48.2 E
Course: NNE Speed: 6.5 knots
Wind: SW F4 Sea: slight
Swell: S 1.5m
Weather: overcast, warm
Day’s Run: 92 nm

Mid-afternoon a light breeze started to fill in from the SE. I got sail back up and Sylph heading off to the NE on a beam reach making good two knots. By sunset the breeze had increased to force four, veering into the SSE and Sylph was up to six knots. By midnight the wind had veered further into the SSW but eased again. I gybed and poled the genoa out to port. Sylph was now running wing-on-wing doing three knots. A shower passed over and I collected ten litres of water. At 0340 a wide band of cumulonimbus clouds passed over. The wind veered all the way round to the NW and increased back up to force four again. The sky grew dark and a steady rain began to fall. I dropped the pole, put a reef in the main, and furled the genoa to 40%, trimming the sails for a close reach. By 0500 we had rain and lots of lightning and thunder, great rumbling rolls of it, reminding me of Rip Van Winkle and the giants playing bowls. But the wind had eased to a whisper again. I left the sails shortened to prevent excessive slatting. Come sunrise the wind had backed into the SW again and freshened to a steady force four. I unrolled the jib, poled it out to port and shook the reef out of the main.
And for the last four hours the wind has remained a steady force four from the SW. There appears to be a different weather pattern prevailing with the overcast sky and cooler conditions. Hopefully it will continue, but I remind myself of the Buddhist wisdom – no expectations, no attachments, no suffering.
Despite lots of rain last night I failed to catch much of it for when I checked the water container this morning I found I had left the tap open and any rainwater that went into the container flowed straight out again. Not to worry. We have plenty of water but I will always take the opportunity to catch more while there is room in our tanks.
It has been a busy night but the cooler temperature is refreshing and it is nice to have some wind to get us moving again.
All is well.