Different kind of Sunday!

27’31.1S 036’43.8W course 217′ speed 4,8kn

Today we were in for a change. We knew it was coming and we knew when it was coming.. but when it was there… we were still a little surprised. The weather during the morning had been cloudy, which made for a nice change. Altocumulus and Altostratus clouds were predicting a change in weather and although they looked to be without rain, we knew at some point that would change. And that change came at 16:15, just after watch handover. A dark low cloud came towards us, against the wind direction and within 15 minutes we were soaking wet and heading in a 50 degree different direction. The wind kept changing little by little, sometimes veering and then backing again. It was a small breeze, so we were going slowly, but it kept our sails filled on a close hauled course, even with the wave direction still from the West North West and our course going South West, sometimes almost West and the wind direction from the South to South South East.

Well what it came down to was a lot of fun on deck. Some chose not to get their foul weather gear, but instead enjoy the rain and the cool down. So while sheeting in and trimming the sails from downwind round and full sails, to tightened flat close hauled sails, we were also dancing around the deck like little kids playing in water puddles and drinking cups of water that just filled endlessly with rain water. We left our reefs in, just to be sure. After about an hour of thick rain, I asked Soete and Jasmijn to take charge of the galley and prepare the rest of the meal. The meat had been in the oven already, but all the rest still needed to be done!

On deck we were pushed more and more to an easterly course and so we got ready for a tack. Our first tack! Our first sail manoeuvre really.. So far we have done 24 days on port side tack, and 2,5 days on a starboard tack, the only time we changed tack was under engine… when there was no wind..
With Beverly, Brian, Mark and Daniel on deck, we got ourselves ready. Sheets of the jib to both sides, backstay of the main prepared, tommy hunter of the mizzen out, backstay prepared, topping lifts prepared and off we went, helm hard over. Sheet out the jib, sheet in the mizzen, ready on the backstay, haul on the jib sheet, haul on the backstay, out on the backstay, let go forestay sail and all of a sudden, we were on a port side tack again! A beautiful manoeuvre! And an even better course on the new tack, back to 230′ over the ground.

The course got better and better during the night, the rain did not. We are still surrounded by clouds and persistent drizzle sometimes fills out into right out rain. The radar screen is filled with green/yellow light of reflecting rain and so we know we will be in for it for another few hours.

Our Sunday beer and dinner were thus also a little different then usual. We split up with one part outside steering and one part downstairs, nice and warm and dry. Dinner was amazing, beef with potatoes and brusselsprouts with leek and bacon bits. Just perfect for this autumn like day!

All is wet but well on board,
Jet

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