This afternoon the Captain gave an introductory talk about sailmaking to introduce some basic concepts before we start practical workshops on the next passage. It was a broad overview of how sails work, the different materials used in their construction, the techniques used to impart shape and strength to a sail, and how all of these things have changed over time and place, from the Faroese woven reed mats, through flax and cotton canvas to the synthetic and composite sails of modern racing yachts. Saw whales 1/2 cable off the port beam early this morning.
SHIP’S WORK: Run gear aloft for main t’gallant staysail, paint tropical blue overhead on the aloha deck, black on the windlass and pelican hook, batcave hatch, scuttle hatch, and focsle head. Sand and treat windlass breakbands with rust-converter. Continue topcoat on main engine. Wire seize martingale backropes, splice new fish tackle pennant, ratlines on main and fore port lower shrouds, weld new tang on martingale and prime.
Continue work on temporary jibboom. Finish repairs to main t’gallant staysail ready to send aloft, work on replacing the rope cover and sun cloth of t’gallant sail.
TOWARDS: Porto Santo Island, Madeira
TIME ZONE: ZD + 1
NOON POSITION: 34°33.4’N /017°22.8’W
DAYS RUN: 103nm
PASSAGE LOG: 768nm
DISTANCE REMAINING: 92nm
COURSE AND SPEED: SE (140°T)
WIND: NExE, Force 5
WEATHER: 3/8 cloud cover (stratocumulus), air temp 65F (18°C), sea surface temp 66F (19°C) barometer reading 1027 millibars, visibility good
SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: 4-6 feet, NExE
SAILS SET: Topsails and courses, fore topmast staysail, main topmast staysail, spanker.