Yesterday, I made use of the light airs to go out to the end of the bowsprit (harnessed to the boat, of course) to tighten the leech and foot lines in the gennaker, which can only be done when the sail is unfurled. When I had nearly finished, but not quite, the autopilot decided to go on strike. I found myself with teh sail filling from the wrong side and me on the wrong side of it. Luckily there was hardly any wind. More fright than anything else. There's always a surprise when you least expect it...
Perfect downwind conditions in 20 knots, proper Pacific swell. But all good things come to an end. There is a nasty low on its way from the north in the next few days, and I have no idea how I'm going to tackle it if it stays on track. Definitely not a good idea to get caught in big wind, and especially in big seas without an escape route, potentially blocked by the forbidden ice zone. If nothing changes, options are to slow down or go on a major detour, or perhaps miraculously it will change its course.
Miranda/ Campagne de France
