Heading Toward the Azores

Through the night we went down to the first reef and solent jib, from the full mainsail and genoa, and then to the staysail when we had steady winds of 25 knots. Getting off the coast of Portugal, away from the Traffic Separation Zone at Cape Finisterre,and the myriad ships, and getting away from usual fishing areas, allowed some space on the open ocean, and the chance to get several 30 minute naps in.

We will have this steady and strong wind for a while, and then it will gradually lighten as we head toward the Azores high pressure system.

We were able to get the replaced batten car working again. It has an intricate mechanism, spring-loaded, to capture the end of the batten in the mainsail. We also have aboard spare pins and springs for the internal mechanism so that possibly we can rebuild it. It was functioning, but very roughly, and it might not function if put back in place. So for now, it will go back into the spares bag, in its spring-loaded readiness to step in again if another batten car is problematic.

Next on the job list is the hydrogenerator pump, which has leaked its oil, and can no longer control the pitch of the propeller blades of the hydrogenerator.