Day 44 – Heaved To
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 26 Jan 2022 21:10
Course: E Speed: 3 knots
Wind: S, F7-8 Sea: rough
Swell: confused
Weather: overcast, some drizzle, cool
Day’s Run: 100 nm (30nm of Easting)
The low has passed to the north of us but a bit closer than we had hoped for. In fact, from this forenoon’s radio sked with Mark it would appear the low has passed directly over Coconut. At 1000 she was experiencing relatively light winds and a confused sea. Presumably as she exits the low on its western side she will get strong southerlies.
Sylph, on the other hand, is about 25nm to the SW of Coconut. Last night at 0300 I furled the jib and reduced the mainsail to three reefs so as to not get too far south and we continued to jog along at two to three knots. This forenoon the wind has veered into the south and increased to around 30 knots. With the wind on the port bow we were making good a course of west, entirely the wrong direction. So at 1050 I started the engine and used it to help tack Sylph through the wind and sea. Now we are on the starboard tack and making good a course of due east at about three knots.
The barometer appears to have bottomed out at 996Hpa about an hour ago and is now on the rise. I am hoping the wind will behave according to Wayne’s forecast and continue to veer and ease a bit later in the day as the low continues SSE. Then we will be able to set a bit more sail and start moving again.
Today marks the longest period I have been at sea for on Sylph. My last longest passage was 43 days from Cape Town to Antigua back in 2003. I attempted a longer non-stop passage from Cairns to Japan in 2013 but was thwarted by a broken strut on the wind-vane self-steering and had to pull into Guam for repairs. Hopefully I won’t have any such problems this voyage.
The wily Coconut continues to elude us but for now we are just remaining hunkered down until conditions improve.
All is well.