Around 0930 UTC we were greeted with wind after a calm night of motoring. The light winds remained constant until 1400, with an average wind speed (AWS) of 16.2 knots. With Chris’s lead, the crew was able to get the spinnaker pole up and set the sails wing-on-wing. The crew made quick work with setting the pole and were all smiles once the Yankee sail was trimmed. I can see the crew’s confidence building as they take the helm and get into the normal routine of the watches. Working with this crew has been a pleasure, with their eagerness to learn and work as a team. Couldn’t have asked for a better crew for this passage. – Athena
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HMS Night Watch Party
Wing on wing worked well until the wind shifted then the helm became the cone of despair for our night watch crew of three (H, M and S) Alex made the decision to drop the pole, shifting wing on wing to a close reach. Wind increased to low teens and speed picked up to a flying pace. Day spent wandering toward Ensenada. Alex, Adam and David got us into port under another starry night.
No Kitemares Today
After a night marked by sudden wind accelerations peeling off Point Conception, and a vibrant, pulsating sky blistered with shooting stars, the off-watch woke to commotion on the foredeck. The wind had gone light and the swell had tapered just enough to raise the spinnaker. The sail filled with an urgent pop, the sheet strained and Falken charged down the face of the next wave. By mid-day, we doused the spinnaker and set our minds to the more precise task of safely punching through a gap in the notorious Cortez Bank. The border to Mexico looms ahead.
The California coast
We had a very lively first day of sailing with steady winds between 25 and 30 kn gusting to mid 30s. All of the crew got experience at difficult downwind helming as we covered 200 nautical miles in the first 24 hours. This morning brings winds in the teens and calmer seas. The sun is still shining, and the green monster has been slayed by those afflicted!