Today turned out to be a bit of a non-event. The intent was to sail south, pick up the easterly traded and then carry on to Christmas Island. But, events last night and this morning have postponed our breakout from the ITCZ for another day.
Firstly, last night turned into an epic of calms blows and torrential rain. We appeared to be in a giant rain cloud arena. Every time we got into the vicinity of a rain cloud the wind picked up and we ended up a couple of miles further west than when we started. Then the wind died completely and I had to take all sail off the boat as we were rolling in a choppy sea, the sails were on a mission to self-destruct.
The second saga started this morning with torrential rain, no wind just buckets of rain from eight to mid-day. Now we have plenty of fresh water on board, have taken showers, washed hair and are smelling civilised again.
All this palaver meant we didn’t sail out of where we were parked up. I have tried to lay a course south but the wind is coming from that direction and we just keep getting pushed west again. Predict Wind is advising I go south west and then south. This seems a risky proposition so I have decided to head east for a few hours (if the wind holds). When the wind comes around I will see it and can then head southwards towards Christmas Island. It’s only a couple of hundred miles away but proving difficult to get to today.
We haven’t seen the sun for twenty four hours and the batteries missed their their solar fix. So, in had to run the engine again.
Yesterday I made a couple of small loaves of bread. By breakfast this morning it had all gone. I will need to make bigger loaves next time. Making bread on a moving boat must be great exercise, sure to strengthen the core body muscles.
The Truce film club watched ‘Groundhog Day’ last night. I have seen it a couple of times but it was a premier for Jessica. It was good fun.
I think we set a record yesterday for the lowest daily mileage at fifty-three, noon to noon. Well that’s if you don’t count the day I went backwards a few miles off Oregon. Voyage distance 967 miles.
The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson 
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