Day: November 6, 2018

An update. I’ve slowly been adjusting to the boat after not sailing it since August and having a lot of new equipment on board. The first 24 hours were pleasant low wind sailing allowing me to familiarise myself with the boat. Until I noticed the gennaker furling line had come out of the furler. That was the end of the honeymoon!

Managed to bear off and get tack onboard and reseat the line but gennaker got into magnificent wrap and then wound round forestay. Fortunately after many gybes managed to get off forestay but gennaker wrap unplayable so dropped it.

Then it was time to prepare for low pressure which hit harder than expected. Changed to staysail and put in reef. Dark and gusting 35 -40 knots when staysail tack lashing snapped so staysail flying wildly around. Bore away again to de power so I could furl sail, drop it, relash tack on foredeck, hoist, reset and put on another reef. And stay aboard. That was a 1 1/2 hour exercise. Unfortunately it lost me 20 miles downwind and a lot of physical resources but it’s still early days.

Today I’m on two reefs and the staysail, a bit under-gunned but fine while I build my resources, sleep and food. Not that easy in this stuff. I’ll be on port for another about 70 nm before tacking but just more of the same for next 5-6 days. Woohoo! Just low after low after low. Hopefully the patterns will change a bit and toss us a bone.

Until next time.