Light winds

4 February 2025

Light winds

As I mentioned earlier, light winds were approaching behind the last depression. The expectation was that we might end up drifting for a day, or at best, sailing at very low speeds. But fortunately, it all turned out much better than expected.

As the wind died down, the sea quickly became much calmer. The swell that had built up rapidly faded, and we were left with long, flat waves. As a result, we hardly felt any discomfort and the downwind sails were able to do their job well. Because, as is well known, on a calm sea, with plenty of sail and just a little more than a beam reach, the Oosterschelde needs very little wind to achieve good speeds.

So, we set the sails, and we set a lot of sail! Occasionally, the wind completely died down, and we dropped to one or one and a half knots—about the speed we had expected. But as soon as even the slightest breeze came up, we quickly picked up speed to over 6 knots. And that’s pure gain! 

Thanks to the occasional gusts of wind, we’ve managed to cover almost 120 miles in 24 hours, despite the light conditions, which gives us an average speed of nearly five knots. That’s really impressive! By now, we’ve left the area of light winds behind us, and progress is picking up nicely. The wind has shifted to the west, and we’re now sailing with a broad reach. With a reefed mainsail, staysail, and top sail, we’re heading into the night. The forecast suggests that the good wind will continue over the next few days, allowing us to rack up plenty of miles. Cape Horn, here we come!

Life on board is proceeding as usual. Saturday was another ‘drill day,’ and since the weather last Wednesday wasn’t ideal for doing laundry, we made Saturday an extra wash day. Everything and everyone is clean and fresh for the days ahead.

Yesterday, just before dinner, Matu managed to catch another beautiful fish. It took a little while to identify the species, but it turned out to be a butterfly kingfish. This gave us two gorgeous fillets, around 6 kg each! Sjoerd was, of course, very happy about that. And tonight, everyone was delighted with the fish, I can tell you that!

And speaking of Sjoerd, I’d like to take a moment to give a small tribute to our chef. Not only was the fish tonight superb, but he makes every meal a celebration! Every evening, the dinner is absolutely fantastic! And every day, there’s something sweet with the coffee: cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, speculaas, coconut rocks… you name it. Every day is a new surprise.

I’m convinced he’s secretly hired a baker who delivers fresh bread daily, because his loaves are absolutely exceptional! In short: Sjoerd, your food is top-notch! Keep it up!