We transitioned into the new year a bit east of Tasmania. However, we were far enough out at sea to not see any of the fireworks on land. And the celebrations on board were also quite muted. Right at midnight we had a small whistle concert after having spent almost an hour trying to right the year with glow sticks and capturing it with a long exposure photo. Unfortunately without much success. Afterwards the night watch continued similar to many other, not very spectacular.

On New Year’s day I was then mostly in the galley. But we had to change the spinnaker multiple times that day. And as we are very low numbers on this leg we had to help. This means untangling the sail as it comes down below deck before rolling and lacing it to be ready to hoist again. Thus, the day was quite packed and I was very happy to finally get some time for myself after finishing the washing up at dinner time.

Birthday at Sea

After eight hours of sleep (one of the advantages of spending an entire day cooking below deck) I woke up reasonably well rested. In front of my bunk light chains and a colourful “Happy Birthday” sign were hung. I struggled a bit to get out of bed without tearing them down. At the beginning of the morning watch I was then welcomed on deck by the first performance of our onboard choir. The watch then passed pretty easily. All the evolutions went smoothly and swiftly so it was a real pleasure. At lunch the choir had their second showing which was much better already. We then spent some more time on day enjoying a piece of cake.

And of course there were a few gifts and cards. From Lou I got a drawing that’s supposed to show my facial expression when things on board don’t go as efficiently as I would like. I am not quite sure if that is accurate. But it is most likely the first ever portrait someone has painted of me. And like that everyone tried their best to make this a special day for me. Thank you team Tongyeong. Also thank you for all the messages that reached me.

Wind and Weather

In the past days we had to manage very different wind conditions. This meant lots of sail changes to always have the correct sails up for the prevailing conditions. And as the winds got lighter there were more squalls around. Whenever we see lightning strikes in the vicinity we unplug our wind instruments which are located on the mast top. This is to prevent damage to our navigation electronics should the mast be hit by a lightning bolt. Then we have to steer the boat in the traditional way. Looking up at the windex and at the waves to gauge the wind direction and speed. Especially at night that is no easy task. But it is even more rewarding if one manages to steer a good course and hold the speed.

Yesterday we got into a massive squall. After the headsails had been brought down and the mainsail was reefed it was time for the storm jib to come up. All this while it was raining cats and dogs. For me this meant the dry suite would get another go after some time. There is simply nothing better than staying dry and warm in conditions like that. And only a few hours later everything had passed and we were sitting in glazing sunshine in a wind hole.

And there we are stuck now for more than a day while the other boats keep pulling away. This is very frustrating. And so we try to spend the time doing some cleaning and repairs. And also books and games have come out to prevent us from going crazy in the sunshine. Thus, we hope that the predictions are right this time and we get some wind tomorrow to at least be able to defend our current position. At least today’s sunset was one to remember, partially making up for it.