0900 Just been calculating average speed needed for daylight landfall in Benoa hbr.. need 5-5.5kn for Saturday 8th (& would need 6.5 kn for Friday just before dark - unlikely in these light winds!!) About to put some diesel into tank from jerry cans.
1130 Poled out genoa earlier & just lowered staysail (of no use with wind abaft the beam - just flaps) - problem bagging it because so stiff (new) & removeable inner forestay fittings make things awkward. Need to change that & organize a bag that will fit over sail when hanked onto stay. Wind has been increasing a touch over the morning - now ESE3 (~10kn) but course is now 292T - & for remaining 500 mls to Bali. Wind not quite as strong as I'd like but have turned off motor for some peace & quiet
- lovely, gentle but slow sailing(3.5-4kn), under part-cloudy sky. Just saw small boat (Indonesian fishermen?) with bright blue sails passing a couple of miles off in opposite direction.
3pm Getting 'chute ready to hoist. 4.2 kn boatspeed at present... 3.45pm Well, I'm not convinced that was worth the effort!! But I think we may have gained 0.5kn... always good to see the red & white striped 'chute flying. At least I've now got all possible canvas deployed... & NO motor! Would be nice to sail the rest of the way if possible, it's so nice & peaceful. Boatspeed now 4.9kn in 10-11 kn true wind from dead astern.
Well, I managed one & a half spinnaker wraps!! Wind was so dead astern that we ended up sailing by the lee as our heading varied slightly - so much so that the 'chute was blanketed by the mains'l and ended up wrapped around the inner forestay - took a time & quite a bit of thought & effort to unwrap it. Initially, wondered if I was going to have to sail to Bali with it still wrapped, it looked so impossible to undo...!! Then, near sunset, it nearly happened again. Fortunately, I was on deck &
managed to prevent it from getting too badly wrapped - decided to take it down for the night to avoid further worries!! Need a 'net' to prevent it.
Beautiful clear starry sky and big spots of phosphorescence in the sea as we pass through. Amazing to see the Milky Way - looks just like a wide streak of misty cloud from N to S dotted with stars, ending near the Southern Cross.
24hr distance run to midday Tuesday was ~152 n.ml. by log (142 by GPS!) and distance to go to Benoa Hbr is ~500 n.ml. (I'm hoping for Saturday)
