Coyote's Log

Check in for end of day 8 will be in two hours, and will be an interesting discussion…. Last night at check in, I asked to talk again to Green Buffalo regarding where to tack for SF. Commanders routing had one point and transit to SF Bay outlined, and Expedition, while close, had us tacking 12 hours earlier with a slightly different transit to SF bay. At roll call, Green Buffalo deferred to later, once Jim Quanci could read an interpolate the most current Grib files. So we had a long discussion during our watches, regarding when and where to tack. So Jim graciously offered to email us a summary of where and when to tack. He said, tack now, and get east ASAP as the high is moving away and to the west….but in 5 days it will come back and we need to be out of the area, or we will have no wind. Several other boats including Delicate Balance, who has been near us for the past 4-5 days also wondered what to do. So we set up a 0730 net to discuss our morning options. Turns out that at 0300 just as I was waking for my watch, Jacob reported a 40 degree header, and thought it a good idea to tack rather than head at Russia. It always strikes me as funny, when he asks these questions as i am waking up, and says “hey what’s with the blank stare?”, one moment please Jacob, while I put my mind in gear……Yep, okay, lets go ahead and tack. So off we went on a roaring port tack directly at SF in a 20 knot apparent breeze at 7.5 knots, yea going home! After tacking onto Port, then Starboard, then Port again, we had the wind fall and fall, until now we have none. Flat calm. Well now we are motoring at 5.5 knots to conserve fuel Rhum Boogie joined us for the 0730 call, and Ashley gave us a warning…When the wind hits you on the nose, do not go south…go north instead or we will pay once we try to transit into SF bay from a southerly direction. So today as the winds have gone from 20, to 15, to 10 to 5 to 0, showers were in order, shaving, laundry, and general drying of everything wet. Clothes, cushions, boots. hatches are open not to ventilate and dry the interior of the boat, and everyone is busy getting organized for the next leg which will prove to be wet once again. Looks like BBQ tonight as the conditions are flat calm, even though tomorrow should be our half way point and party. Steaks, cola slaw, and corn with brownies for dessert. Weather is hot again, I in my swim suit, while my clothes dry from washing. May be the same conditions, and powering for he next 2 days and nights. Hopefully we will have periods of wind so we can shut down the iron jenny. Well off to set up the BBQ now. Coyote