Laundry day without wind

17 January 2025

Laundry day without wind

The previous update ended with the expectation that we’d likely need to start the engine the following morning. But luck was on our side, and we ended up lowering the sails more than 24 hours later than expected. There was a weak breeze, just strong enough to fill the sails. Sometimes it works out… We did get a few heavy showers, one of which released so much water above us that we briefly felt like we were sailing under a waterfall. Great for the boat, all the salt washed away. Less great for those on watch!

As expected, the wind eventually died down completely, and we had to continue under engine power. Since then, there’s been no wind, lots of sunshine, beautiful starry skies at night, but also a bit of short swell. And that swell, without any sails up, is pretty awkward. We’d prefer to head further south, but if we do, we’d be crossing the swell at an angle, making huge rolls. That would make life on board almost impossible. So, we’re sailing at a slight angle to the waves—a compromise between the right course and a little bit of ‘livability’ on the boat.

Yesterday was Wednesday, and we designated it as laundry day. Everyone did their laundry on deck, and because the sun was shining, the entire deck was soon covered with clothes and bedding. Good thing we’re in the middle of the ocean and no one can see us… And of course, we couldn’t forget about the boat itself on laundry day. So, the entire ship got vacuumed, scrubbed, and mopped to keep it fresh and ready for another week.

I’ve already mentioned that everyone has found their sea legs. But I haven’t mentioned that everyone helps out with everything. Sjoerd has Tim as his Personal Assistant, and all the guests pitch in with the dishes. And I mean all the guests. Yesterday, after lunch, there was a line at the galley with people coming to help. By the time dinner was over, the dishes were already done before the sailors even had time to get into the galley! And the sailors don’t mind at all… 

The forecast is that a bit of wind will pick up tomorrow, and we’ll be able to raise the sails. Then we’ll have to figure out which course we want and can sail. The next challenge seems to be a low-pressure system that, according to the forecasts, will develop to the northwest of us and move southeast, right along our path. We’re still (for now) hoping we can stay just below it and then follow it behind, but that will become clearer in the coming days. And in the coming days, with a bit of luck, a comet might be visible in the southern hemisphere. C/2024 G3, also known as Atlas. It only passes by once every 160,000 years (!!), and should be visible to the naked eye. We’re curious to see if we’ll catch a glimpse of it!