Day 5
May 30, 2024
We are sailing on the edge of a high pressure system. On my morning watch, we shook all reefs and hoisted the staysail. Beam reaching under full mainsail, Yankee, and staysail, FALKEN was cruising along at 9, 10, sometimes 11 knots. In the late afternoon, the wind veered to a southwesterly Force 4 to 5, and we dropped the staysail, eased the sheets, and continued on a broad reach. It has been very pleasant sailing all day, and we crossed our halfway mark to Horta today—950 nm to go.
It looks like we found some favorable current as well, as our speed through the water is constantly about 1.5 knots slower than our SOG (speed over ground). As darkness fell, the wind veered further and it was time to set the pole, bring the Yankee to windward, and we are now sailing wing on wing. We might have to gybe in the early morning hours to maintain our course, but for now all is set.
The next few days will be interesting as we transition from the high pressure system into a low pressure with very light and shifty winds, plus rain and squalls in between.
Fair winds and a following sea,
Chris
ChrisKobusch
View more passage logs
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!