Miles in the Correct Direction

Yesterday and today we have been finally out of our seemingly private bubble high with no wind, and into the usual South Atlantic high pressure system that generates the Southeast Trade winds near the equator. Finally we are making miles in the correct direction.

Yesterday we sailed most of the day with the genoa, our biggest upwind sail, and full mainsail. After much tweaking of sails, the boat was really going well. Yet we got to the end of the wind range for that genoa and switched to the solent. And then when there were several clouds with wind that put us over on our ear a bit, I decided to go to the first reef even though it was not technically called for yet. I would use the slightly easier motion of the boat to try to get some real 90 minute naps in. 90 minutes is the target because that is what a biological sleep cycle is.

A long talk with our Expert Dr. Brien Barnewolt the day before, first on nutrition, but then on sleep, had emphasized having a plan for getting more sleep, which I had not done. He suggested purposefully setting up the boat, as much as one could, for sleeping. Thus our calming of the motion, and taking off some extra sail, played to that goal. I did get 3 or 4 naps in, not always that long, but it was substantive, and I can feel it this morning. Not that I’m ‘well-rested’, I’m not, but I’m ‘better-rested’ than I was.

We saw a fishing boat’s lights last night. It reminded me of the importance of actually keeping a visual lookout, since there was no AIS indicator, nor did they have a radar going that our detector would pick up. I first saw them after we were past them, and our radar confirmed. And this morning, we have just had another AIS target of a fishing vessel.

The wind has shifted slightly to the east from the northeast, and so we are not going into the seas as much. I heard from Eric Bellion yesterday that the northeast trade winds north of the equator were very strong and difficult. And I received news that Louis Burton, who was on the finger pier with us in Les Sable d’Olonne, just finished this morning, in front of a major storm coming into the Bay of Biscay. Felicitations Louis!

Position
13° 33’S x 33° 35’W
Course
26° True
Speed
11.3 knots
Log
24,226nm
True Wind Speed
13 knots
True Wind Direction
97°
Sails (click for diagram)
Mainsail (1 reef), Solent
Air Temperature
92°F / 33.3°C
Sea Temperature
85°F / 29.4°C