Day 151 – Doldrums Mk II
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Fri 13 May 2022 07:47
Course: SW Speed: 1.5 knots
Wind: SE Force 2
Sea: calm Swell: S 2m / W 1.5 m
Weather: sunny, hot
Day’s Run: 45 nm
It would seem we are back in the doldrums.
A short while after rounding our Indian Ocean NE waypoint we fell in with several thunderheads and light variable winds which during the course of the afternoon and evening pretty much clocked the compass. By 2000 the wind was down to force one and with two significant swells running, one from the south and the other from the west, there just wasn’t enough breeze to keep Sylph’s sails full. Initially I tried reducing sail so as to keep some sail up to catch any air that might be present while reducing the wear and tear from the sails bashing about, but by 2100 I had to accept that this was not working. So I handed sail and allowed Sylph to drift where she may.
The calm continued overnight. I got up every few hours to see whether there might be some usable breeze, but the Australian flag hung limply from the backstay and the light of the gibbous moon showed the sea’s surface smooth though undulating, the two swells interacting with one another creating silvery hillocks that would appear to rise out of nowhere, then a moment later fall and disappear. Fortunately this irregular pattern negated any tendency for Sylph to roll excessively, so I was able to sleep reasonably peacefully.
It wasn’t until daylight that the flag fluttered weakly to a light air and the sea showed a few ripples on its surface. I raised some sail, only to three reefs initially to see whether there would be enough wind to hold them full. Also I needed to repair a luff car batten pocket that had lost some nuts due to the constant backing and filling of the slatting main. Once the repair was completed, I set full sail.
The light breeze has held mostly from the SSE during the forenoon, and we have been close hauled on the port tack making good a course of SW at around one and a half knots. It is slow progress but at least it is progress.
All is well.