Raritan - Raritan – 11/28/18 – Day Four

The day started off inauspiciously, as we spent perhaps an hour unsuccessfully trying to rig up a system to sail directly downwind. We brought down the main, and used the boom as a whisker pole, securing the smaller jib on the windward side of the boat while we flew the larger Code 0 Sail to leeward. Upon unfurling the Code 0, the boat shot forward, and we could feel the keel providing stability in the swell.
Unfortunately, the slot in which we could successfully sail such a rig was extremely narrow, and it was almost impossible in the large swell to keep the boat pointed in the correct direction so that both the Code 0 stayed full and the jib would not be backwinded. Steering the boat was exhausting. So we brought back a double reefed main, furled the Code 0 and settled in for a day in which we could just relax and tick off some miles toward St. Lucia, even it meant pointing higher than we wanted.
The decision was a good one. Crew morale improved steadily during the day, as the sun shone through the clouds, the winds freshened, and Raritan marched perfectly on course. Night came and the only grumpiness was when an occasional cloud would cover the stars we used for bearings.

Matt