Pajarito - Day 4 - Pass the Ginger Ale
Captain's Log: Wind speed: 5-10 kn; Wind direction: SE; Remarks: Beating, Beating, (and a frowny face - code for Pass the Ginger).
We've been beating into the wind for a couple of days now. The wind has been anywhere from very light at 5 kn to fairly fresh at 15 kn, but always out of the southeast - the direction we want to be heading. We've tried a couple of strategies. Sail close-hauled due east, then tack back to the southwest. This bought us very little ground towards our destination because whatever easting we were able to make we lost when we headed back southwest.
The other strategy was to motor in the direction we wanted to travel. This meant motoring head on into the wind and waves, and turned out to be pretty darn uncomfortable especially for the off-watch trying to catch some sleep. We found ourselves airborne off the bunks when we hit the big waves.
This afternoon, the wind has finally clocked to the southwest at about 5-10 kn. So even though we're beating to windward, we're able to make progress along our rhumb line.
We've been downloading wind/wave radio faxes from the National Weather Service, and it appears that we will have some relief by tomorrow evening with the winds clocking to the west, north, then northeast.
Yours beating to windward and sipping the ginger ale,
- the Pajarito crew, Captain Bill, Bob, and Deidre
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