October 24, 2014 Windward Work
Oct. 24, 2014
35 18′ S
171 29′ E
SOG: 4.0 kts
Another day of sailing hard on the wind. About 0600 it picked right up and has been blowing steady 22 knots SE, with 28 knots in the center of the squalls. Surprisingly we’ve been able to stick mostly to the rhumb line, though it is slow going. We’ve got a sail plan that works pretty well for the conditions: Double-reef main and “double reef” jib (partially rolled). When the squalls pass we can roll out the jib and gain an extra knot or two, keeping it sheeted in hard. The helm is totally balanced and we just leave the tiller to it’s own devices. Thank you full keel!
Privateer just shoulders her way through the seas like a hot knife through butter. The rail is buried and she charges ahead at 30 degrees off the wind. With just 367 miles to go to Nelson, we are getting anxious to get there! Have to be patient. Tonight we’re tacking into the high pressure moving in, and then plan to motor for a day (with the last of our fuel) south of the high where we’ll pick up some fresh westerlies. At least that’s the plan.
Much of this passage has been to windward so far, and one of our legs is beginning to grow longer, as the sailors say.