Day 90 – Fresh Winds
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sun 13 Mar 2022 11:35
Course: ESE Speed: 6.5 knots
Wind: WSW, F6 Sea: moderate
Swell: WSW 4 m
Weather: mostly sunny, mild
Day’s Run: 129nm
A change came through at 1700 yesterday with the passage of a weak front, the wind shifting from the north to the west within a matter of minutes but there was no dramatic increase in wind speed as one normally expects with a cold frontal. Indeed, for a few hours after the wind shift poor old Sylph was flopping around in the chaotic cross sea with not enough wind to keep her sails from crashing about. (I try hard not to stress too much in these conditions but I suspect my dentist will be seeing a few more cracks in my teeth the next time I see her.)
But the wind did gradually increase and the seas became more organised later in the evening, and we have been running wing-on-wing with the wind off our starboard quarter for most of the night, the main double reefed and the jib down to 80%. And just a few moments ago a line of cloud passed close by with a dramatic increase in wind speed to force seven or eight, requiring a third reef in the main and rolling the jib down to 30%. The line squall has now passed and the wind back down to more relaxing force six but I expect there will be more squalls coming so for now I will leave the sail plan as is.
I have had a closer look at a weather chart I recently pulled in on the HF radio which shows the sea surface temperature for the Indian Ocean. It did not cover the Agulhas current region in any detail but it did show a very steep temperature gradient between the warm Indian Ocean waters and the cooler southern waters at about 42S, extending from 20E to 50E. I figure that this boundary region is likely to have more turbulent and unpredictable currents then either side of it so that tends to reinforce my intent to stay south of at least 43 degrees until we are further east, which ties in with a visit to the Iles Crozet, which are at 46 15 S, 051 00 E.
Advanced clocks one hour to time zone -2.
All is well.