tablished that there is a strong current from the southwest to west setting us back. When I tacked using COG, we tacked in 150º and went 2 knots faster on port tack than starboard.  By compass heading, we were tacking in 90º.

I’m always sailing the boat. When I’m on deck, my eye moves from the luff of the jib, to the instrument wind angle or the masthead Windex, to boat speed, to the pattern of wind on the water, and back. 

If below deck, I look up at the instrument display every minute or so.

In this past week I’ve had to deliberately refrain from doing this. Everything is happening too slowly. Quick reactions are not appropriate.  

I love good sailing, and I’m getting very sick of this, which isn’t. 

1700 If conditions tomorrow morning haven’t changed, I will start powering and stop only when good wind appears or I’m down to ¼ tank of fuel. Then, if there still is no good wind, I’ll lower the sails and wait. Enough!


September 30
South Pacific Ocean: Wednesday

0525 The sun just came up. I saw it on deck where I’ve been working for the past half hour, first trying to settle the boat on course--this time because of strong rather than weak wind, and then putting a reef in the mainsail.

After a dinner last night of Calvados and Lindt chocolate--they go together well and I needed a treat--I went to sleep and decent wind came up from the northwest. I got up, adjusted sails and Monitor, and we continued sailing through the night, though after getting no where yesterday afternoon, we’ve still only made fifty odd miles since noon.

An hour ago I woke to feel the boat sailing too much into the waves. The wind had increased to twenty knots. So on deck for adjustments, which have left us making 6 to 7 knots on a beam reach on course. A definite improvement. 

Mostly sunny sky, but clouds to the north and ahead. 

Barometer has fallen to 1008.

0900 Sky now mostly cloudy. Very dark to the west. From becalmed to storm mode. Not completely unexpected. Removed the remaining cowl vent from aft end of deck and replaced it with deck plate. Set up running backstay to reduce mast pumping. Furled jib down to a scrap.  Too far for present 18 knot wind--our speed has dropped to 5.5 knots--but in anticipation of what lies ahead.

1030 Raining heavily. So far no increase in wind, but it has backed and is forcing us south.

1205 No sooner had I written the above and put the computer away, than the wind increased dramatically. I had the right amount of sail set and the boat remained under control. However I put on my foul weather pants and boots and had the parka at hand so I could go on deck quickly if necessary.

The wind soon returned to 18 to 20 knots, but the rain continued for an hour. Sky remains overcast, but brighter, although there is another distinct line of darker cloud to the west. Unfortunately the wind has not swung back to where it was, and we’re sailing on a close rather than a beam reach, pounding off some spiky 4’ waves, on a course around 220º.

Noon position: 28º 45‘ South; 174º 05‘ West. Day’s run: 88 miles. 
Opua: 717 miles, bearing 237º

The Kermadec Islands are just under 200 miles ahead.

1320 Clearing and blue sky to the northwest, but we are nearing the line of big clouds and the wind has again started to increase. Again wearing foul weather pants and sea boots. Making 5.5 to 5.8 knots, still pounding occasionally off a 4‘ to 6‘ steep wave. If this wind angle holds, I may have to slow down to put a stop to that.

Every once in a while a wave thunders aboard and waterfalls over the companionway, which I now have closed.

Barometer continues to fall. Now 1004.

Pumped four buckets of water from bilge; nothing in engine compartment.

Just finished Thomas Flangan’s excellent THE TENANTS OF TIME. We’ve gone so slowly that its 844 pages weren’t nearly enough. 
 
1530 Wind gusted to 40 knots on the forward edge of the cloud line we passed through two hours ago. Put on my foul weather parka as well and stood by the companionway. Heavy rain and wind for five minutes, then eased back to 25 knots, but remained from the southwest.

Since then the sky has partially cleared. Sun shining. And no other cloud line ahead of us that I can see. Barometer remains at 1004.

I feel asleep sitting up listening to music. Woke a half hour ago. Boat leaping off a wave. Put on foul weather gear and went on deck to put in second reef. While doing so I had us fall off to a beam reach. What a difference that makes. What a great day’s run we could have had if this were on the beam or behind us. As It is we are close-hauled, making 4.3 knots between 190º and 180º. Just another, and harder on boat, way to go slow. Can only hope the wind shifts. 

1830 The wind has decreased and may even be veering slightly to the north.

I went on deck at 1600 when we were being forced off to the southeast and tried the other tack. As I expected, the waves, which are coming more from the northwest, stopped us dead on port tack. I couldn’t even tack to get back on starboard, but had to fall off and wear ship just like a square-rigger. Once close-hauled on starboard tack again, I unfurled a little more jib.

I came below and was just starting to light the stove to heat water for dinner--freeze dry chicken and rice--when a gust backed the jib, so back into foul weather gear, back on deck, wear ship again, and get us back on course.

I expect some kind of change tonight. The wind may continue to decrease. If it were daylight, I’d remove the second reef now, but will wait and try to let out more jib instead. It’s easier to furl the jib again than put a reef back in. I also think the wind will change direction, and almost any change will be an improvement.

My evening drink tonight is a cup of Lapsang Souchong tea. Not drunk on deck.

A little while ago the distance to Opua fell to less than 700 miles. However on our present course of around 180º, we’re not getting closer very quickly.


October 1
South Pacific Ocean: Thursday

0545 Things did change last night, but not as much as I hoped.

I woke at 2330 to find the boat level and quiet, the motion smooth. The wind had decreased so that with little sail set the waves had pushed us off to the southeast. I got up, got dressed, put on my foul weather parka for warmth, and went on deck and removed the second reef. This made an immediate difference, and we swung back to a course of 210º, sometimes even 220º. We also began bashing into and off of more waves. Sometimes the boat just has to hold together. I hope THE HAWKE OF TUONELA does.

I woke many more times after that, and unfortunately the wind increased again and backed and headed us again. It is now blowing about 20 and we are back to sailing about 196º, which is the course we have averaged since yesterday noon. Sky has scattered clouds, but nothing immediately threatening. Barometer is up to 1006.

Sometimes in the next two hours we are going to cross 30º South at about 174º 30‘ West, which is not far from one of my early waypoints. 

This is rough always brace yourself and move from hand hold to hand hold sailing. In the galley when I need my hands, I brace with my foot, knee and hip.

If only this wind would move from directly in front of us.

0815 It really is a very nice day. Sunny. Scattered low white puffs of cloud. Cooler--65ºF. Wind easing slightly. I keep thinking of the 150 or 160 mile day it would have been with a different wind angle.

Put on my foul weather pants and sea boots to pump the bilge. I expected that with this jerky motion I would slosh water on myself, and did.  

We crossed 30º South just before 0800.

Barometer 1008.

1205 We’ve kept alive our string, now at nine, of consecutive days with less than 100 mile runs. 

 The wind is decreasing. I’ve twice let out more jib. And it may be veering slightly. We are getting up to 205º and even 210º. The waves are bigger, 6’, but farther apart and less steep. We can usually sail up one side and down the other without leaping into space. 

Noon position: 30º 21’ South; 174º 32’ West. Day’s run: 99 miles, which only reduced the distance to Opua by 73 miles. Opua: 644 miles, bearing 242º. 
 
1430 Wind went light, then forced us off to the southeast, so I tacked. We are holding 285º to 290º and are able to power through the waves. Tired of going south anyway.

1700 Sailing more smoothly, but on 300º. Today would have been another fine sailing day with a different wind angle. 

Felt a sore spot near my left eye. Looked in the mirror and found a gouge and bruise there. I have been jolted about, but don’t know when that happened.

Dug out a pair of socks, which I am wearing. Could be the first time at sea this year. 


October 2
South Pacific Ocean: Friday

0530 It is difficult to believe this is happening and more difficult to live with.

During the night the wind lightened. At 0100 I was on deck to remove the reef and the last two rolls in the jib. I also tacked several times trying to find an advantage, but ended up as I began on port on a heading of about 300º.

The sky was clear and lit by a full moon. Beautiful, but I didn’t care.

During the next few hours, the sky clouded over but the wind remained the same, until forty-five minutes ago when I woke to find us drifting north. On deck again, tacked again several times. Ended up on starboard heading south at 3 to 4 knots. Since starting this entry, we have fallen off to 160º. 

0800 Lovely morning. Sunny. Barometer 1017. Light wind that has slowly backed so that we sometimes are sailing 270º. I tacked back to port after the last entry. Only making 3.5 knots. The Kermadecs are a little over 100 miles ahead of us. And we are back up to 30º South.  

1205 Waves building from southwest.  Also a layer of hazy cloud moving up from that direction. Wouldn’t be surprised to get strong wind on the nose again. Amazing that