Daily Archives: 2. November 2015

Next on track close to the wind – Day 3 nach Gran Canaria

During the day the wind shifted further and further towards the west and later even towards southwest. So we had our CESARINA go to the wind always higher, but up to 35 ° which really was quite possible. So far, we are only half-Wind- sailed or downwind courses. Of the good sailing qualities of our new “At home” we were very impressed.

The wind blew all day with pleasant 15-20 Node, but it was not a quiet and relaxed sailing day. In the early afternoon of the first Squall pulled with more than 35 Knot winds over us. It should simply be no nice crossing. After our Kutterfock got a long crack in the early afternoon because of fatigue, we ran only under Genoa. After all, we were making good progress. Also, the second and third Squall let us rather cold. Leider segnete unser Pinnenpilot vor Anbruch der dritten Nacht das Zeitliche 🙂 Die Squalls sind wohl doch zu viel für den Guten gewesen. Now we stood there without autopilot and still had two and a half days and over 300 Nautical miles in front of us. A nightmare !!!

But necessity is the mother of invention. Somehow we had to carry our “Hydra” (new pet name for the autopilot)get back up and running. After the first reset Dietmar was able to convince them again, to steer a course close to the wind. For a map course but we could not persuade them. For the coming night so we were on the safe side. How it should go further, when from noon tomorrow no wind would blow and we'd be on the road with machine, We were waiting to happen.