Hello Friends-
So yesterday GS2 got moving again and I was thrilled to be making tracks southward. I changed sails from the Code Zero to the Big A2 running kite (spinnaker) and we were off to the races. It was (and is) brutally hot in the direct sunlight, so after the sail change- soaked in sweat- I gave myself a good salt water bucket bath -followed by a fresh water rinse- and it changed my whole outlook. I put on Sting- "Brand New Day" - one of my favorites- and was rockin'... it in the cockpit- shaved- new bathing suit- new attitude. If you have a chance- put on "Brand New Day" and go out for a run or a walk or a work-out or a dance or a skip- mood game-changer.
I then received an email from my weather gurus expressing grave concern that I could potentially sail into another area of calm unless I got West quickly. Total buzz kill- celebration mode turned rapidly to weather research mode. 2 hours downloading GRIB weather files and running routing scenarios. Looks OK to me- so I am proceeding towards our next general waypoint area with 17- 21 knots of wind from directly behind us and the big kite pulling us downhill fast!
I finished reading " I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" and was most entertained by the sophomoric humor- but this one is clearly not for everyone. I am now reading "Sycamore Row" by John Grisham , and like most Grisham books, I am having trouble putting it down. As you can tell- I love to read- which is really a good thing out here with lots of downtime.
But I do have my chores to do, so here is my list for today:
1. Check engine- fluids, belts, hoses, filters etc. - I have been running the engine to charge while becalmed over the last two days but am now back to the hydro since we are going fast
2. Check auto pilot ram and aft compartment for water etc.
3. Check fresh water supply- make water if needed ( I am consuming a lot more water in this heat)
4. Check on Solent repair- I did this yesterday (see Facebook Photo post) - not the most beautiful patch in the world but hopefully it will work
5.. As always, develop a rolling 5-day navigation/routing plan in partnership with Commanders Weather
6. 3X daily deck check for any signs of chafe in running rigging or sails
7. Pull out new food from the duffel bags in the forward compartment- its like going shopping!
8. Communicate with friends and family
In terms of my competitor Henrik- he is to the south and east of me and was going slow in light winds for a while but now seems to be moving again- He is over 500 miles away to the SE so really in a different weather pattern. It is tough to say when we might get closer. I have to just concentrate on my own situation for now.
So that’s the update on Friday Dec. 11th- Day 26 of this epic voyage-
I hope everyone has a great Friday and a better week-end.
Cheers-
Joe
Current Speed: 9.1 knots
Last 24-hr Average: 4.54 knots
Trip Average: 8.08 knots
Target Average: 8.20 knots
