Epiphany - Day 7

The weather has eased and life aboard is a bit more comfortable.

Yesterday evening I made a tough decision. We could see on the weather that the high pressure we had been on the east side of for a few days was starting to come south. This meant that the wind for getting more and more easterly and our course more and more southerly. Ahead of us is a stationary low pressure. It’s detached from the jet stream and there should not move for a few days. It was critical for our trip to get attached to the west side of this low and pickup NW winds that would give us a beam reach into Horta. However the further south we go the more upwind a NW wind will be for us and we could end up with beating to wind for 7 days into Horta, or even worse not getting to the low and being stuck in a wind hole in the middle of the high pressure.

So I took a decision that we put the motor on and head NE into the wind and make sure we get into that low and stay North. It was super hard decision, we only have so much fuel and technically we could still sail quite well. Just to much south. Anyway we did it and so far I’m happy. We have climbed NE and are now close to the west of the low pressure. We are due to get its wind in the next few hours and then we should be good for a while. All forecasts align so this gave me some confidence it will actually happen.

Unfortunately Charlie was sick again last night so Dad and I did a second night in a row together. It was hard but he did amazing! Last night he took 2 of the 3 night watches. I struggle though the worse one, midnight to 3am but how he did 2 I don’t know. Amazing. Charlie is up this morning and looking a lot better. Anyone who has done a decent amount of sailing understands sometimes it happens.

Finally Spectra the water maker company emails me back some instructions to help the water maker. After an hour being bounced around in the engine room we can now flush to membrane which will protect it till we get to Azores. Then I have a new pump already on the way. Couldn’t do any of this without starlink. It’s amazing.