Day 162 – Winds Easing
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Tue 24 May 2022 08:14
Course: S Speed: 5 knots
Wind: ESE Force 3
Sea: moderate Swell: SE 3 m
Weather: overcast, mild
Day’s Run: 138 nm
The wind has gradually and somewhat fitfully eased since yesterday and we are now close reaching under full sail making good a course of south and a speed of five knots.
The low pressure system off Cape Leeuwin that was deflecting the trades into the south has moved into the Great Australian Bight and the trade wind has now backed more into the east thus allowing us to more easily lay our next waypoint, 540 miles due south of us. In about 200 miles we will be moving out of the trade wind belt and the torrid zone (aka the tropics) and back into the horse latitudes where we can expect mostly light and variable winds, though being winter I expect we will likely get more wind than when we turned north at the start of last month.
I am looking forward to getting back into the westerlies and turning Sylph’s bows east towards Australia once more.
All is well.