Close-hauled

25 February 2015

By Sieb Kemme: 
“Rotterdam, here we come! In the first 24 hours we traveled 140 nautical miles, an average of 5,8 knots. Not bad for an close-hauled course with a north-easterly breeze. In a calm sea the ship pleasantly levels over port side. The slow rocking motion creates a seaman-friendly and forgiving holiday vibe. Nonetheless some discussion has come up about the place of arrival. Some expect to arrive in Newfoundland, where others consider New York. In any case, the current course of 310-315 degrees brings us far west of the Azores. But the last GRIB file shows that the wind will change to east-south-east. That means that we will sail close-hauled over the same bow and arrive at the Azores in an elegant curve. Lets hope the weather sticks to the GRIB files. But you cannot count on it: the weather is an unreliable partner.”

Addition from first mate Woody: 
“In the afternoon the ‘Basics of Sailing’ instruction got disturbed by a group of Atlantic spotted dolphins!”