La Promesse NED7576

No. Not is. We still have plenty of energy!
In these very light to what-wind?!? conditions our Watt&Sea hydrogen cannot keep up with our energy usage and thus we have to use the engine to charge batteries. The good thing is that since sunday we have been able to generate all energy green. No engine needed. That is a big relief compared to the past where I had to run best friend Ruggerini for 1,5 hour, twice a day at 6am and 6pm.
In last winters refit we changed to Mastervolt lithium and Watt&Sea hydrogen. Very happy so far.
We also installed a separate start battery (osr ruling). And that battery now proved to be uncharged. Empty. Oops.
Luckily, the system is designed with an emergency switch that enables us to switch from lithium system to start battery in case of failure of the lithium system. The start battery gives us time to continue using the primary systems on board (auto pilot, gps and nav). But the switch can also work the other way round; if the start battery proves to be empty we can use the lithium to start the engine.
Safed by the good design and thinking by ShipSupport (remember? Best kept secret in the world).

It is cold here and getting colder. Coming closer to the Labrador current that brings cold water (and ice) from the north and the northerly winds.
Wearing 2 layers, socks and hats in our dons sleeping bags in our bunk. An additional layer and foul gear when up or out.

Weather is difficult with multiple light wind areas to navigate trough. Difficult patterns ahead for the coming days. Bur we are happy that we move again in a westerly direction to Newport. Waiting for a windshift in our favor.

Although no complaints about our dry food, do we miss GeertjeMarije’s vegetarian nasi! 😍

From La Promesse with love,

Flo & JanKees

From 50kts to zero. No wind, no puff, no nothing. Fighting to keep La Promesse going. Handsteering. 0.9 1.1 1.3 Spinnaker up. Spinnaker down and zero up. Zero down code5 up. Better. Flatter. 2.0 1.8 2.3
Floris yelling ‘I am not f…..ng sleeping before we do at least six kts again’ Back to 1.4 again. Mindf…ng.

This spot of light winds was predicted in gribfiles. Couldn’t avoid it. Routing helped define the right path but also predicted couple of ours 0-5 kts. Let’s hope that some little puff or tiny breeze kicks in when sun goes down.

Positive thing is that in the middle of this frustration we had a chance to dry somme gear and pillows on deck in a weak but warm sunshine. And we put al our sikaflex around the mastfood to hopefully stop leaking.

Now preparing warm meal. With canned fruit as ‘dessert for difficult moments’. This is one of them.

Floris & JanKees

Having fun sailing with my son.

We ordered some chips and cola with the Getir app. No one showed up. ☹️

So with the smallest sail setup, triple reefed main and stormjib, in stormforce winds at a brutal violent sea (9-11m) we sailed up to the centre of the low; the eye. Coming closer winds decreased and we could unreef step by step till full main and genoa. In the eye itself it was calm with 7-11/15 knots of wind. Even a calm sea. We had the main slamming. A very surreal experience. As if we had entered some secret room or so. It took us the whole night to cross. Waiting for this windshift signaling the other side of the low centre. And from there the wind picked up and so did Neptune. We are now coming down sailing at 12-14 kts over ground. Had coffee, bacon eggs and cheddar. Too wet to be outside. Floris teaching his daddy the ins and outs of routing. We miss Aapie and its boss!
With love from the Nord Atlantik.
Floris & JanKees

Wind and sea decreased over this morning. Our cook declared the extended menu available again. Eggs with bacon and Cheddar on top. ‘Fresh’ bread. Very nice relief brunch after two days with lesser appetite. Cappuccino and, ta ta ta ta tataaaaa, dessert: Haribo Starmix!
We are closing in on the top of the low and are positive about rounding on top. If the more miles pay out is to be seen in the coming days and weather system development.
We discussed the challenge it must have been for Chicester cum suis to do this type of sailing in their. boats and without the super sophisticated foul gear and instruments we have nowadays. Deep respect!
We threw Craigie (our watt&sea hydrogen) overboard on sunday afternoon and have the batteries not seen under 99%. It just charges.
In showers wind picks up to 30kts gusting and after the rain has passed decreases back to the 20’s before.
Seastate from very rough decreased to more moderate now. Good opportunity to clean up some mess and ‘take a shower’ Floris & JanKees

When riding a storm and sail in rough conditions keep drinking. Ayai, captain! Cappucino’s ready!
Who needs a shower anyway?
Floris & JanKees

…..a submarine with sails on? We do! Better, we sit in one. Back to double reefed main and staysail awa90. Tons of massive water flush La Promesse. Mother nature is excited. Neptune seems angry tossing us around with his three-fork (is that an english word?). Now bailing out buckets full of water from bow and aft compartments.
Spirit strong. Mostly in our bunks. Closing in on the centerpart of this weather system.
If someone could just another program on the washing machine…no too hot (20deg will do), mostly blue coloured with yellow (like the sun).. No shipping. No animals.
Just Floris and Jankees

Huge seas and lot of wind. It’s tough on board. Dried abricots. Make sure we drink enough. Wind should decrease a little bit early morning wednesday. In our bunk. No animal life seen yet besides the beautiful stormbirds. 💪⛵️🇾🇪

We varen nu onder stormfok en 3e rif. Telkens de goed call gemaakt voor: rif1, rif2, stagfok, rif3, stormjib. Apparent tussen 45 en 55 kts. Dat is wat ie meet. Nu rustig op roer en koers. Windhoek van 130. Uitschieters nog steeds naar 16, 17 sog. Tussen t douchen door in onze bunk. Rare sport!