We've been sailing for nearly a week now, gennaker mostly, day and night. Adjusting the halyard after every shift to prevent chafe on one spot. Mostly light winds, but the Maverick 440 is relatively light for her size, well balanced, strongly rigged, comfortable and a huge pleasure to sail. Our folding props gives us an even better turn of speed. If you don't know what a folding prop is, it is an incredible piece of engineering that makes the blades fold into each other, and creating no resistance through the water when sailing. A fixed prop keeps on turning, creating resistance and vibration. When you need to motor, the folding props unfold, and you can adjust the pitch to normal or overdrive. Overdrive gives you more power at lower rpms. We could gain up to a knot faster with the folding props, and over 8000nm, it makes a substantial difference.
This morning it was more overcast than the previous days when Don took over watch from me at 6am. An hour later he called us to drop the gennaker. The wind was now building from the south and it was starting to rain. In no time we had the gennaker doused and bagged, and unfurled the genoa with the wind at about 140°. It was the first time we had to douse the gennaker in a hurry, and it went smooth and fast. We maintained good speed for a while, and wind up to twenty four knots. Two hours later the wind backed to an easterly, and we raised the gennaker again. A little bit of action always good for us, and we enjoy keeping our boat happy. Speed is not our first priority, although we do our best to keep going fast. But never at the expense of safety, or flying a sail with too much wind. The hurricane season officially starts June 1st. We are thus trying to maintain a good speed. The sooner we can get to the US, the better.
We are being spoiled by Jane. She mostly prepares lunch for us, and she loves cooking. She has a few very appreciative crew on board,and we are living and eating well. We are using both lpg gas and an induction plate. Another invention that amazes me. Wonderful to have a watermaker on board, and through our solar system, the hot water is always hot.
We changed lures two days ago, but still no luck. Also no birds where we are, and very few flying fish. Normally one gets dorado or wahoo out here, and getting closer to Brazil, our luck might soon change. Often we catch big dorado as we get to the north easterly tip of Brazil.
All is well on SV Jubilee, and one day flows into the next, ever getting closer to land again. The moon is now just a sliver that smiles at me on my early morning watches. Soon it will be new moon, or dark moon as it is also called. It is also when the stars shine at there brightest, sending there pulsating colours and secret codes into the galaxies. What I also find interesting, is that according to scientists, the light we see from a star now is the a reflection of a much earlier event. Travelling at the speed of light, the light only reaches us hundred of thousands of years later. A bit mind boggling.
With the rainy weather action we had earlier, we also had a stunning rainbow. Another natural phenomenon that amazes me endlessly. Whenever I see a rainbow at sea, I always think of my friend Danny in PE. A most colorful character.
I hope you have a great weekend ahead, and also be moved in a way by the wonders of nature all around you.
Peace out
Paul
Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.
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