L: Dare I say it, but it actually feels like a moment of calm as we head into day 6 of our Albania to Spain journey. It is mid morning and we are doing 5kts under full main and jib, a nice Force 3 driving us roughly towards the Balearic Islands. The kids are in the cockpit, breakfast had and listening to “Treasure Island”.

We still have 300+ miles to run to Barcelona and this phase is critical - getting across the gap between Sardinia and the Balearics. This gap can be dominated by the Maestral - rendering the gap either blowing directly on the nose for an uncomfortable motor or very light, leading to a boring motor. The sea state following a Mistrael can also make for uncomfortable passage making. What we really don’t want is a post Mistrael motor!

So far (with another 160miles to go) we have timed it well - not that it felt like that as we left the bunkering pontoon in Sardinia. Initially, with the rig up, we enjoyed a broad reach for the short distance to the headland, from where we knew we would be come exposed to both weather and sea state. Couple this with the numerous rocks and exposed wrecks that litter the Southern coastline of Sardinia (we didn’t want to expose ourselves too early to the offshore weather) and the mission was set to get around the corner and off the coast by midnight…..

Canopus has an in-mast furling main sail. Not the first choice of any sailor and has, already created a situation earlier inthe trip by getting caught and tangled in the slot from which it protrudes. So, as we enjoyed the initial reach along the South Coast V and L practiced some main handling - in particular reefing the sail (reducing our sail area in case we become over powered at any point).

What great timing. As we turned the corner, with sea state building we had been monitoring an electric storm that was battering the island. 

With V finallyoff watch (bunkering does have a habit of disrupting the watch pattern), I did think we had safely outrun the storm. But then, with full main up, rapidly I saw the  wind increase from a steady 14kts beyond 22nd and the patter of rain (the first since we arrived in the med!) on the awnings. Quick - everyone and everything down below. Clipped on? Great, now get this main away and sharpish… all done and it is always good to practice these manoeuvres.

The following watch, V did a great job of negotiating the south-western corner in pretty unpleasant conditions. L woke at the next handover having had really weird “space dreams” - presumably inspired by the excessive movement of the boat.

The next phase become a bit of a “glory” watch. Everything becomes heightened at night and feels exaggerated. A summary the handover was “pass between the rocks (they should be lit but I can’t see anything!), try to get a bearing to Ibiza and see what you can do. Oh and be careful of those ships.”

With an orange moon rising ominously behind, the slight silhouette of a rock on our port came into view. “View” becomes an odd expression sailing at night. You learn to view the picture off-direct focus to use the more sensitive area of your retina. Looking directly towards the rock, there is not rock. Look a few degrees off and it then appears. A brain also starts to generate odd interpretations of these signals adding to the sense of foreboding. Oh wow! There’s the rock to starboard - surprisingly exactly where it should be according to the map but looking very threatening. Lets’s have a cup of tea, bear away and get into the open sea.

As we bear away, Canopus stretches her legs for the first time under sail on this trip. Tentatively I let out more and more sail - we re pointing high (wind about 30degreesoff the nose) so the trick is to balance speed through the water with course over the ground without creating too much commotion below as the boat ploughs through the waves on a decent heel. But with toerail in the water, full sail area out e see 7.5kts from about 14kts of wind - the ride made even more exhilarating by the darkness and the amplification of the crash, fizz and bubble of the water.

Here we are now. We’ve been sailing ever since. The wind has dropped off slightly and is causing us to bet away from our destination. But we are moving. Day 6 of how many? 10? Sailing to a deadline is always a stressful venture and poor old OB may need to hang on for just a few hrs. This one is going to be tight.

Someone dance to the wind gods for us will you?

Stay well.

Crew of Canopus