Three Weeks On

Yes, we're still out here on the passage from Easter Island to Valdivia, Chile. We had planned on a three week trip but, given the previous passages, thought we may shave some time off of that estimate. With the highly variable weather we've encountered we've already covered a greater distance than the direct rhumb line course of 2050 miles. Trying to predict where the wind is going to come from next and what weather it will bring has been a daily, if not twice daily, task.

It looks like the Captain may have misjudged the movement of the latest high pressure system that is currently located 60 miles south of us. The original high merged with another high from the southwest and has been stationary for the past couple of days. Hence the counter clockwise rotating winds have been directly in our path as we cross over the northeast quadrant of the high. Had we sailed a slightly more southerly path the winds would have been a bit more favourable for speed and comfort than the close hauled tack we are currently on.

With luck, as we gain east over the high the winds should veer more southerly and allow us to maintain our easterly course to our destination at Valdivia, 200 miles away.