Crew management

The forecasts downloaded last night confirmed a good weather window to face the Drake, so this morning at 06:30h we set sail. Rounded Harmony Point on Nelson Island and gained the open sea we set course to 004° enjoying a broad reach 5 knots which which accompanied us throughout the day.

From this night we expect the wind to progressively veer crosswind and to stay that way for the whole day tomorrow.

From tomorrow afterwards we expect an increase of up to 25/30 knots veering to north west°, which will certainly bring the apparent wind around 35/40 knots, which should last only about 12 hours and then progressively veer again to crosswind to a quiter 15 knots.

For February 2nd and 3rd the forecasts give winds from South, South West around 12 knots and at that point we will be with Stanley at sight.

If we it will really go this way we will be extremely lucky. With the damage we reported it would be better not to face perfect storms.

One aspect that I will certainly have to take care in the next days is the morale of the crew. They are all a bit tired and the contagious enthusiasm of the departure has left room for a clear desire to return ashore.

These very nice guys did not choose to make the sea their life like me and the Vale. They dreamed of reaching Antarctica and now, that this dream is fulfilled, they can not wait to go their own way. All but one.

Ijri, who has discovered a new world and even if you can not define him a person who is loquacious and easy to open, has told me that he would very much like to do this life. To buy his own boat and entering the charter business. And considering his love for mountains and the winter, this means sailing at these latitudes.

Food is definitively something which can leverage on the moral. So for lunch I prepared macaroni with Sicilian cauliflower. Fried garlic, chilli and anchovies, in which flavor the cauliflower previously boiled.

In the water used to boil the cauliflower, cook the macaroni which, when seasoned, should be served with a generous sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs.

For dinner pizza with tomatoes, almost mozzarella, grilled peppers and bacon.

At least for today I avoided the mutiny.