N 31° 46.791
E 138° 57.163

Yesterday morning all started fine. The cold front passed and we could sail fully N to get distance from the cold front behind us.

However, then the wind increased. I needed to change course towards W increasing the AWA to 115 deg The genoa reefed to 2 bars (40% reduced), and the main in reef 2 we sailed on. Wind increased. Reached for a very short time the lower 8 Bft range, stayed for an hour or so in the 7 Bft range before going back into the 6 Bft range with long gusts into 7 Bft over hours.

The waves built up 3-4 m and occasionally a wave washed over MaRe from the STB bow.

This was pulling a bit on my nerves because I could not do more but wait.

The mid night entry of the log book states 6 Bft and course of 298 deg.

Then I started going to an AWA of 110 deg and watched how MaRe sails. It was a pitch-black night and I could not see waves, so I needed feel how she is doing. I continued every about every 30 with 5 deg.

Tobi, who was on the next watch, continued until 95 deg. 90 deg was too bumpy.

At 0500, when I started my last watch, I could the waves. They were a bit further down. About 2-3 m. So I changed again the AWA in 5 deg steps down to 65 deg. Going higher into the wind, MaRe would bang into waves too often and too hard. I don’t want her to feel this.

The problem was the TWD, which did not change sufficiently south of E.

How to go the Hachijoshima?