Hi everyone,
We are currently in position 12 25S 94 42E, sailing at 6.5knots on a course of 255M. The wind is 12-18 knots from the ESE. Bright sunny sky. Our day's run to 0900 today was 127nm due to light winds overnight. We had 1860nm to run at that time.
Yesterday afternoon we sailed WNW on starboard tack in a ENE wind which started 15-18 knots but decreased to 8-10 by evening. It veered to E so we gybed onto port tack at 1830. This gave a much steadier ride since both sea and SSW swell were on one side of the boat.
At 1800 last night we conducted the Indian Ocean Crosser's HF net, talking to Mahi Mahi, Vulcan Spirit and My Lady. It's fun conducting the sked, but only if one's radio is working well. Happily we seem to have ours "sorted" at present. We expect a steady stream of boats to join the net when they depart Cocos, plus possibily some approaching Cocos.
We had a good but slow sail overnight with a new moon initially and then bright starlight. Only a few clouds passed by, usually giving a little more wind for a while. It's nice to have pleasant sailing conditions for the first night out. It was rolly but not too bad. We had the full yankee headsail unrollled and a single-reef in the main. We're trying to get the power forward to help get the wind vane working, but too little apparent wind for it so far.
Around dawn this morning a line of clouds passed over and the wind went further around to the ESE. This allows us to head directly for Rodriguez which is great. Won't last of course! ;) We're starting to see a foretaste of the "sideswipers" notorious on this passage. They are brief combinations of swell and sea which break. If you happen to be in that tiny patch of ocean when it happens you can get anything from a little spray to a green-water pooping. At present it's the former thankfully.
Enjoying the next bite of the elephant so far!
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