Light winds today presented the perfect opportunity to test out our modified gennaker! Remember that sail that was a little too big for our needs? We also had some issues with the retrieval system when we first looked at it. Limited repair supplies on board meant getting creative – we jury-rigged a solution using cable ties.
With a little dose of trepidation and some, shall we say, "enthusiastic" stress testing and finally a "she'll be right!",, we hoisted the modified sail with Craig at the sheet and yours truly as the designated "deck gorilla." We filled it with wind, and guess what? Success! Not just success, mind you, but outstanding success! Considering the less-than-ideal circumstances – the makeshift repairs done in a remote location (that "grey lump covered in orange dust"), the unorthodox measurement method (a rope pulled up the mast in 25 knots!), and the tight deadline (tomorrow!), even MacGyver himself would be impressed by our ingenuity.
We're not quite halfway across the Atlantic yet, so here's a little something to keep you company: this blog will likely drag on for a while, mirroring the vast expanse of the ocean we're crossing. On the bright side, I hear the comments section isn't working, which means I have a captive audience! No worries about being contradicted – feel free to consider this a monologue from the middle of the Atlantic and I can say anything I want.
We've both developed a bit of an obsession with the weather downloads. Every update is followed by an anxious scan of the maps, and a hope to see nothing but clear skies (represented by green on the map, we like green!). Orange blobs are cause for concern, and red ones – well, let's just say we don't want to see any red on our path.
we're still making steady progress. Yesterday, we logged a respectable 161 nautical miles in 24 hours. Even better, the sun has finally decided to peek through the clouds. This is a welcome change, and we are slowly beating the ongoing battle with the red dust. It seems to build up almost as fast as we can hose it off. I am wondering if it will stop accumilating if we have clear skies.
