Light and Baffling
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Thu 31 Mar 2016 23:34
Course: South West Speed: 4 knots
Wind: West, F3 – gentle breeze
Sea: slight Swell: North West, 1 meter
Weather: overcast, warm
Day’s run: 90 nm
Light and baffling winds prevailed for most of yesterday and much of the night. I struggled to keep Sylph moving in the right direction, and even resorted to motoring for an hour. The mainsail crashing about in the light airs and small lumpy seas eventually got the better of me, so at 21.30 I dropped the mainsail, stowed the boom in its crutch, and relied on the headsail to keep Sylph moving for the remainder of the night, at one to two knots.
Come dawn a gentle breeze from the north-west looked sufficient to keep the mainsail full, so it is now back up and, apart from the odd flap short of full slat, it has thus far kept us moving at three to four knots.
Yesterday it occurred to me that a very important tool to carry on an offshore sailing boat is a can opener. Two days ago my primary can opener broke. Yesterday the back-up seized up. I am now down to the last back-up back-up, an ancient can opener, the type without any moving parts. Hopefully that will last until Fiji.
All is well.