07’48.4N 025’00.1W course 180′ speed 6kn
After much doubting and still hoping our forecast of 15 knots would come true (so we would not need the topsails) I decided that today had to be the day, that our topsails went up! These beautiful speed machines are a world on their own. They live up high, they weigh a ton and are extremely rewarding to look at once they are up! Then why did we not do that before. Well, they are also in an area that has the most motion in it when we rock, so the ware on the mast and rigging can be great when we roll. Also, if its a force 4, it is a lot of wind to get them up, and you need at least 5 persons on deck to get her down. Most of our watches are 3 or 4 person watches.. Maybe I kept life a little too simple for a while, but now that they are up, we are fully committed.
The sea state is still dictating our course. We have to keep the wind on our beam to be able to keep the sails from flapping. Even with the topsails up. Which should not be a problem, as the predicted doldrums look the same over the whole length of it. The Doldrums are situated around the 5th Northerly latitude and so in about a day or so sailing, we may be completely becalmed by them.
The past few days we have seen lightning far in the distance, but nothing tonight. As soon as we hit the real doldrums the lightning will be all around. Big cumulus clouds that discharge at night after filling up all day in the heat. The forecast has them for about 2 degrees latitude, which would be small… so first lets see how we do until we hit the doldrums and then how we get out again.
The heat on board has been growing and setting the sails was a task that broke all of us out in a profound sweat. But looking up, that was quickly forgotten. I think tomorrow afternoon we do a fire drill and get the saltwater hose on the deck to cool us all down.
All the beautiful Easter Island curtains are up again. swaying in the wind as a small breeze from our wind catcher in the main hatch is blowing fresh air down. At night we can sit outside in shorts and t shirt, it is cool enough to really cool down, not to get cold though.. And it will be this hot for a while as the sun is still on the South side of the equator with a declination of 20 degrees South.
The surface water is now 28,4 degrees, nearly as warm as a indoor pool I would guess.
We have less then 4000 miles to go to the Falkland Islands and less then 500 to the equator.
All is well on board,
Jet
