Today we had the full program!

We started out after midnight with 4 Bft from E using the genoa tight in a bit to match the 90 deg AWA to stay on course. We expected actually a more northerly wind thus had only the genoa out.

As of 0300 the wind increased. At 0610 the log book shows 5 Bft from ENE, combined with rain and thunderstorm. The wind increased to 6 Bft from ESE; a wind shift of 45 deg. With this wind we sailed quiet for a while in heavy rain but no thunderstorm anymore.

Then the wind increased again with a shift first to E, and then to ESE. Blowing from ESE it increased to full 7 Bft. Although I reduce before the size of the genoa to 3 bars, MaRe really ploughed through the sea. In the meantime wind pushed waves up and we had wind waves of around 2.5 m, sometimes they exceed 3 m easily. The swell was short, far less then 100 m and 2 – 4 m high. Such a swell is called “rough” and indeed it’s rough sailing in such a sea with the wind around abeam. MaRe was rocking! With a small genoa only we made good progress on these sea conditions.

At 1600 we unfurled the genoa again and used the barber hauler because the wind turned N. The wind went down but the waves remained.

Now, at 1800, the wind and the wind waves are down. Only the swell remains in the range of still up to 4 m. Because we could changed course to a broad reach course MaRe moves relaxed along the given course of 218 deg.

With all these weather conditions we had to deal with 12, not only 9, fishing vessels.