Panama Outbound Day 5

 Hi everyone,

At noon today we were at 01 46N 083 26W steering 220M, motor-sailing under single-reefed main at 4.5 knots.  The wind was 4G8 from the S.  Our noon to noon distance by the log was 106nm.

Leaving the rainstorm behind?

At times this passage feels brutal.  Ears assaulted by engine noise.  Balance challenged by random pitch and roll.  Brain constantly debating wind prediction accuracy and whether our diesel will last the distance.  It's all about reaching the trade winds, and that's all about getting S.  Through the adverse wind, seas and current.  The trades will be sweet - once we reach them!

Yesterday afternoon the engine went back on at 1500.  We'd had 7 hours of sailing close hauled, half on each tack.  Our track shows we tacked through about 150 degrees.  Adverse current, sloppy seas and light winds account for that.  We won't reach the trades that way so the engine went back on.  We did enjoy the silence.

Since then we've been motor-sailing very close hauled.  The main is giving a little extra drive and we are pointing much higher than when sailing.  Initially we headed S but tacked W when a rainstorm parked directly ahead.  Overnight the SW wind backed slowly to the S, lifting us from W to WSW to SW.  That was nice.

Despite the conditions Nic baked a cake this morning.  Looking forward to getting into it.  And the constant overcast we've had for days is starting to disperse.  Best of all the seas are reducing with the lightening winds, allowing us to head even further south. 

Cake

Our diesel tank is emptying inexorably.  We'll probably need to refill it from jerries later today.  Our two sets of 4 20 litre jerries each give us about two days motoring.  Should be plenty (fingers crossed)!

Trust all's well where you are.