Day 189 – Blue Skies
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Mon 20 Jun 2022 05:34
Course: E Speed: 6 knots
Wind: WSW Force 4
Sea: moderate Swell: SW 2.5m
Weather: sunny, mild
Day’s Run: 135 nm
I had thought that the worst of the weather had passed but at 1550 I made
out a distinct squall line approaching from astern. I wasn’t sure how bad it
would be, sometimes they prove to have very little in them, but I furled the
jib just to be safe, leaving the triple reefed main to keep Sylph moving.
Well this squall turned out to be a doozy, with winds I estimate in the
order of 50 knots. I took the helm to give the windvane self-steering a hand
to keep the wind on our starboard quarter and prevent an unintentional gybe.
Sylph coped with it well but I was relieved that it was relatively short
lived.
However, no sooner had this squall passed then I could see another larger
bank of dark cloud rolling in. Would this be worse I wondered. I recalled
an experience in the Tasman Sea where we were clobbered by the darkest
meanest thunderhead I have ever seen and I did not want a repeat of that
experience so again decided to play it safe. I set the staysail, handed the
main and waited. But this time there was no significant increase in wind.
It was approaching sunset. After dark it would be very difficult to spot the
squalls and I couldn’t stay awake all night looking out for them so I
decided to set a bit of jib and to leave the main down. We were doing a
steady five knots so, while under-canvassed, I was nonetheless satisfied
to retire below for a while.
By 2200 conditions seemed to have stabilised; the sky was clear, stars were
shining, the barometer was rising, and Sylph’s speed had fallen off to less
than five knots. I unrolled more jib and set the main. We were
now beam reaching with triple reefed main, staysail and 50% jib, making good
six knots.
We encountered another squall at 0415 this morning but it was only minor and
I managed this one by bearing away a little, which only required me to reach
my hand out of the companionway and tweak the self-steering control line,
rather than having to climb into full foul weather gear, go out on deck in
the rain and trim sails (by which time often a squall has passed). This minor
squall only lasted five minutes and once it was over I returned Sylph to her
proper course and returned to my bunk.
I arose again at 0900. The sky was blue with a few puffy white cumulus
clouds and the breeze was a steady force four from the SW. A very welcome change. Our speed had
dropped off to four knots so I deemed it high time to set more sail.
Now we are under single-reefed mainsail (there is still the odd minor squall
about), full jib poled to starboard, running square before a moderate W’ly
breeze, making good a steady six knots.
560 miles to go.
All is well.