Day 163 – Winds Easing More

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 25 May 2022 06:42
Noon Position: 23 05.3 S 089 48.2 E
Course: S by W Speed: 2.5 knots
Wind: ESE Force 2-3
Sea: slight Swell: SE 2 m
Weather: sunny, warm
Day’s Run: 112 nm

It would seem we are entering the horse latitudes a little sooner than I had anticipated with winds down to less than ten knots. On the bright side, it is sunny and warm, the sea is calm and the swell smooth and easy; in short, it is a beautiful day, and on top of that we are still making a couple of knots in the direction we wish to go.
As always with a patch of fair weather I try to make the most of it by attending to jobs that otherwise are not possible. I have been to the masthead twice, once yesterday afternoon and again this forenoon to check the rig and all looks good. One issue that has been bothering me is that the headsail is about half an inch lower on the foil than it was when I previously set it and I don’t know why. I suspect something amiss at the masthead such as the upper swivel jamming on the foil, but I can see nothing obviously wrong so will monitor it for now.
Another job scratched off the list is a patch on the staysail. The clew had been chafing against the forward lower shroud when we are close hauled in heavy weather and was wearing the fabric and stitching where it rubs. So I have glued a patch of old sail cloth on either side with some contact adhesive, in part to strengthen the sail but mostly to protect it from further chafe.
And later this afternoon, when the sun has moved into the NW so that the headsail provides a bit of shade over the foredeck, I will put another coat of varnish on the fore-hatch.
We are twenty miles short of the Tropic of Capricorn (23° 26’ S). As long as we continue to get some wind by tomorrow we will officially be out of the torrid zone and into the temperate region.
All is well.