Typical weather systems in the part of the North Atlantic that we’re sailing through tend to move from west to east. So when we saw a moderate low pressure system form to our north we suspected that it would sweep eastward, giving us a push with the westerly winds on the bottom edge of the system.
Strangely enough, this particular system is now forecast to sweep by us before stopping, making a 270 degree swing counter-clockwise, and then proceed south directly into our path. Instead of a nice push from westerly wind, we’re now forecast to have moderately strong easterlies. And east is exactly the direction we want to go!
So now we have a decision – do we just continue on our merry way, and accept that we’ll need to tack upwind into 20+ knots for a few days? Or do we divert north to try to sail over the top of the system? Or, should we head south in an attempt to sneak around the bottom?
In any of these cases, our nice forecast is now decidedly less nice. But Madrone has sailed through far worse, and all’s well aboard.
Day Five
143nm
36 15.9N 51 35.8W
