48° to 49°: a slow day

I got up around 7:30 and discovered the place I anchored at. I arrived with full moon but the fog was dense. Now I see buoys, lobster pods and I am perfectly centered among it all. Looks like carefully chosen but it wasn’t! There is some wind, so I decided to skip disembarking and rather head out straight away. In retrospect not a smart move.

I weigh anchor at 0800, hoist the main, set the genoa and off we go. Unfortunately that didn’t last long but I used up my motoring nerves yesterday - I want to sail. Soon I motor sail, I take the main down, I hoist it again… Unstable weak winds are the worst. Despite of working a lot it seems impossible to get the boat moving for any stretch of time. By the time I finish one maneuver, the situation already demands for something else. At some point I am not even doing 3 knots over ground but the forecast promises light, steady following winds. I decide to break out the big tool, the Gennaker. A proper job for just one person. It takes about half an hour to get it set.

Now it is 18:00, winds have picked up, the Gennaker flying, I am doing 6 knots. Should I sail through the night or drop the hook for the night? Hmm. Starting from midnight the wind should build, I could sail through with just the Gennaker set. The good wind will persist for ~36 hours and I have 230 NM to go. Better take it while it’s there…

I decide to sail through the night. There is no traffic, sea is calm, no ice yet and weather looks steady. I should be able to get some good sleep in a safe way. After all I want to be in Nuuk by July 11th when Yann shall arrive.Read more