Riding the trade winds
SPALAX
Marjan Golobic
Fri 4 Dec 2009 13:53
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Yesterday aftrnoon the trades finally kicked in
with a pleasant easterly of 14 knots. We unfurled the Genny and turned on Mujo,
our trusty aeolian assistant. The two worked together in perfect harmony,
as the Spalax began surfing the Atlantic swells at a speed of up to 8 knots. But
that did not last long: the easterly increased to 23 knots, so we took down the
Genny and unfurled the genoa, giving us a much smoother and more secure ride on
the ocean waves. We seem to be the southern marker of the ARC fleet. Could
someone confirm that? The weather forecasts we've been receiving in the
past few days are not accurate. They would want us to believe that we
are sailing with a NE/ENE wind. However, we've had nothing but
the easterly for four days - not a breath of northing in it. In
fact, we noticed from time to time a southerly component. I've been trying
to post some photos, but the Iridium signal is so weak that it got
disconnected every time I wanted to upload a few photos. I'll keep trying.
According to the latest weather report, thunderstorms are expected between the
ITCZ and the 15th parallel N, so we are heading north. At the moment,
our SOG is not bad, but the VMG leaves a lot to be desired (yes,
that's your homework for today). Why? Because our course is 300, and
that's not taking us straight to St. Lucia. Still, our ETA is in 8
days, because we think positive.
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