We managed to pass clear of the reefs extending north of New Caledonia today, all thanks to the wind! For those who don't know, we have an autopilot that steers the boat. It has two main settings:
- Compass Course: This setting keeps the boat on a specific compass course (e.g., 266 degrees). It's great for keeping us on a straight line, but it won't avoid obstacles or adjust for wind changes, so we still need to keep an eye on things.
- Wind Angle: This setting is a bit more complex. It steers the boat to keep the wind at a certain angle to the yacht (e.g., 93 degrees). This means the yacht's direction will change with the wind to maintain that angle. Again, vigilance is key!
In these conditions, the wind usually blows from the same direction for days, even weeks. So, we're currently sailing to the wind angle. Yesterday morning, our course was heading straight toward a series of reefs north of New Caledonia, and we were preparing to gybe later in the day as we are going down wind. But as the day went on, the wind gradually shifted south, moving us slightly north in a wide arc over several hours. We ended up missing the reef by miles.
Overnight, the wind eased back in the other direction, and we're now making another gradual arc back.
The weather models are still showing a few days of light winds ahead. Not exactly what we want to hear, but the good news is that the wind direction should be more favorable – not so far aft. The wind has already dropped to less than 15 knots, which isn't ideal for making good time.
And now for the latest update in the ongoing saga of the missing luggage. We received a message from Jetstar saying, "We tried to call you on a number ending in 3445." Which is amazing, because no one involved in this whole debacle has a phone number ending in those digits! Seriously, Jetstar, are you even trying anymore?
