Day 177 – Waiting and Baking

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 8 Jun 2022 06:39
Noon Position: 37 34.8 S 095 54.5 E
Course: E Speed: 3 knots
Wind: SSE Force 3
Sea: slight Swell: ESE 2.5 m
Weather: sunny, cool
Day’s Run: 87 nm sailed, 41 nm made good

The wind continued to ease during the afternoon allowing us to set full sail, and by sunset had backed into the ESE. We tacked at 1705 to head south with the aim of giving ourselves a better chance of falling in with some favourable winds a little sooner than otherwise.
The wind has been backing and veering between east and south since then and we have tacked several times so as to take advantage of the wind shifts, though the swell from the east is retarding Sylph’s progress significantly. As the figures show, in the last 24 hours we have sailed 87 miles to make good 41 miles to the east.
I am pleased to note that the Ineffable’s outlook has improved. Tomorrow N’ly winds are expected and the low that has been blocking our progress is supposed to dissipate on Friday with a front passing through bringing strong NW’lies followed by fresh SW’ly winds, a much more typical weather pattern for this area at this time of year than what we have experienced thus far. Hopefully the passage of the front will allow us to make some decent miles towards Adelaide. I won’t speculate beyond that.
This forenoon I took advantage of the lighter conditions to bake a loaf of bread. It did not come out so well, collapsing from a nice fluffy loaf into a sodden lump as it cooled. I think I might have made the mixture a bit moist.
All is well.