Ever heard of the sweet spot, the adjustment point that is perfect, the angle that fits... well we have been playing around with exactly the opposite for the last 2 days and most probably for the coming 2. The optimum angle to avoid the low winds of the Azores high is about 30° T and our AWA is exactly 90° at this point which means that the sails don’t hold, the wind vane freaks out, helming is a pain in the ass and we have been spoiled by the constant 15 tà 20 kts of the trades. Here we are playing with 7 to 12 kts. This morning we brought out the Genniker and cooked most of the day at 7.5 kts but in a more northerly course. I brought it down at sunset so we can have only one watch on deck at a time with me on call - too dangerous with the big kite up all alone in the dark. So we are off on a more easterly course holding a AWA of 80°, sweet talk the wind vane and hopefully get some sleep. I fixed the AIS today but I am not sure it works - no boats out there to test it on, and worked on the kicker that was missing washers and making a racket. There are still many things i can’t figure out how to use - the autopilot worked for a few minutes and then went off in some odd direction, the SSB as mostly static - not picking up all the weather gurus people rave about. On the other hand we used the watermaker for the first time yesterday and there is still cold beer in the fridge (Jorgen’s special pleasure). We aren’t racing but everyone is very concentrated so not much else is going on : stand ones watch, eat, sleep, fix things. Jorgen and Juha seem to be reading, Esa is writing in a note book or on a computer, but I can’t seem to get any time off and when I do I remember that I forgot some important chore and I’m off filling my black bag with tools and climbing under over a pile of stuff to get at what ever it is. The sea is very calm (too calm for my taste) but this is a vacation, remember! We experimented with pasta cooked in sea water - well I don’t recommend it. Our days are punctuated by occasional sightings of bits of garbage : an old shoe, bottles, buoys, ropes, plastic sheets etc. but no ships.
