Day 166 – When I’m Sixty-Four

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sat 28 May 2022 06:55
Noon Position: 25 26.1 S 088 54.0 E
Course: SSW Speed: 4 knots
Wind: ESE Force 5
Sea: moderate to rough Swell: SE 3 m
Weather: mostly sunny, warm
Day’s Run: 95 nm sailed, 63 nm made good

The plan to seek comfort over speed to windward while waiting for more favourable conditions appears to be working.
We remained on a close reach overnight, reducing down to 30% jib just before sunset and three reefs in the main a little while later when my conduit to the Ineffable made it clear that the wind strength was going to remain close to a near gale from the SE to ESE for the next 24 hours. And thus it has been.
As the wind has slowly backed more into the east, Sylph has followed it around and our heading has gone from almost due west to SSW. The forecast is for the wind to continue to slowly back and ease over the next few days. By Monday it expected to be NE at force four. So we will continue to follow the wind on a close reach and thereby, with a little luck, eventually get around our next waypoint, now SSE at 280 miles, late on Monday if the forecast proves accurate.
Today I turn 64. The old Beatles song comes to mind. “Many years from now” came and went all too quickly. (I can mend a fuse but I’m no good in the garden.)
All is well.