16th July 2018
The sail from Isla de Lobos took about three and a half hours, despite having an un-necessary reef in the mainsail the whole way. The forecast had suggested gusts into the mid 20s which we can manage with full main (by reefing the jib) but which are easier to handle with a reef in the main. Given Hector was awake we were effectively taking it in turns to single-hand, so a reef seemed prudent as reefing the main single-handed is difficult for Charlotte with the current setup. In the real world, rather than the forecast, the wind barely broke 20 knots until we were close to Puerto Rosario. But, we were chilled and calm the whole way, so are not overly concerned that we averaged 5 knots rather than 6-7.
Most of the passage was on a broad reach, which I think we are finally getting the hang of sailing well. By using the outboard jib tracks, we can pull the jib out so that it fills more consistently, and cannot collapse/back easily, right out to 150 from the wind. As we started to turn in towards the coast, bringing the wind across our stern, we jibed the main over to goosewing for a while before jibying the jib as well for a spell of quicker sailing with the wind on the beam before we entered the harbour. Lovely sail.
