Out off the trade winds into the variable winds
It is clear that we have left
the trade winds, the last 36 hours have been filled with wind shifts and
decreasing to no wind, with showers. On the morning of Thursday Sam and I
finished a watch with beautiful sailing, doing 8 to 9 knots down wind, almost
straight to the Azores! But as the sun was rising, clouds started appearing and
thunder was seen on our lee side. At watch hand over it was clear that the next
shower was going to hit us, so topsails down. It started raining and we thought
it was just a shower, but it rained the next 2,5 hours, full on thick drops of
sweet water rinsing our decks, and us.. The wind shifted and as we had to turn
to a southerly course to prevent a crash jibe, we finally, as we figured it was
not just a shower, got all the sheets in and tacked. Straight on course after an
hour in the rain Sam and I retired. Only to hear loud bangs and flapping of the
sails an hour later… wind gone, rain still there… Engine on.
After
that we tried sailing a few times until a nasty south west swell came running
through (which gave us the false hope that we might get south west wind, we
never did) and we had to lower all the sails.
Now since 00:00 watch hand
over we are sailing again. The high pressure area that should be more to the
north is making life slightly difficult for us. North East light winds. And
north east is exactly where we want to go..
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