Getting used to our new point of sail

00’57.2N 026’53.7W course 215′ speed 4,9

I went off watch this morning with a force 2/3bf coming from the East, nice easy going sailing. Just to wake up to a force 4 to 5bf, choppy sea and East South East winds. We reefed down the mainsail and mizzen, partly because of showers around and partly because we were healing over more then we were going forward. With the reefs in, we sometimes get stopped in our track by the choppy sea, but we have a rigging thats easy to handle this way.

Measuring reefknot lines for the new sail! picture by Bob

I had actually hoped we could get our new canvas out during the day. Set the new mainsail, mizzen and forestaysail. But as it is, they will have to stay packed away until we find that lighter breeze again. Reefing a new sail in the first day of setting it does not sound like a good idea.
So we continue under our old set, heading a little too much west from south, but we are sailing and we are getting closer to the equator. Just over 60 miles to go on this course line.. so maybe we will meet Neptune somewhere during the day or early evening.

Not all on board have realized the significance of crossing the equator, which makes the meeting with Neptune even more fun! I wonder what new names he will come up with this time.. The name given to me is Lutra, Seaotter. And after seeing them play around in the water on the Aleutian Islands, I love the name even more. I hope all on board will feel their name is fitting as we sail into the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Polaris was still visible between the clouds as we came on watch, but I have not spotted it since. The Southern cross has not yet been seen, just because of the cloud cover in front of us. But we know it is there and it will be our guide over the next few weeks, heading to the Falkland Islands.

All wel on board, Jet

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