The wind instrument has begun showing gusts over 20 knots at 3 o’clock on Thursday afternoon. The forecast seems to be on schedule. In a half hour, we’ll try to listen once more to Herb Hilgenberg for an update. If yesterday’s forecast of winds reaching 35 knots proves correct, we have a plan. Heave to.

Robin is making good speed – close to 6 knots – with her staysail and one reef in the main. The next step, when the winds are consistently near 20 knots, will be to put another reef in the mainsail. That will be followed by a reef in the staysail, then by dousing the main entirely.

If the seas get too rough for the amount of headway we’re making, or if the boat is taking a beating despite its speed, that’s when we’ll heave to. I think I mentioned this practice once or twice before in the blog. Since then, I’ve finished Bernard Moitessier’s book, in which he describes his method. He would sheet both the jib and main in tight and then tack, so the jib was backwinded flat against the mast, and he would put the steering hard to leewards – the tiller to the starboard when he wanted to go to port. This is very much like the tactic Lynn and Larry Pardey recommend, except they don’t use the jib, just the main. Their claim is that turbulence created by the boat’s keel makes a slick upwind that prevents oncoming waves from breaking. I tried their method on the way down, unsuccessfully.

I think if we need to heave Robin to when this front gets here, we’ll stick to the jib-only method, which at least gives you a quiet, comfortable ride.

Monica is in her starboard berth, reading a book. She will stay there until the front passes and things settle down.

Outside, the seas are moderate coming from the southwest. But among them are larger, steeper waves coming from the northwest, and these tend to rock Robin sharply.
If we get to the point of heaving to, I’ll be inside with Monica.

Meanwhile, I’ll be in the cockpit, reading my own book. I picked up a James Patterson novel yesterday and just finished it. It wasn’t exactly as fulfilling as Moitessier. Now I’m working on a Jack Higgins novel. Lots of broken bones in the first couple of pages. No thought-stirring observations but it will occupy time.

We may be busy for a few hours, so who knows when the next blog will be done.