The last 24 hours have been frustrating. We were expecting the sea state to settle down. It did change, but not for the better. Our large northwesterly swells left us to be replaced by somewhat smaller, but steeper (and therefore newer) swells from the northeast. The barometer has been dropping steadily, as you can see above, which is what you would expect as we move away from the center of the high. In fact, only having 22 knots of breeze for most of last night was less than we would have expected given the steepness of the fall in pressure.

Wind waves are usually not a comfort problem, especially with this boat. It is when the wind waves combine with and/or cross a swell that it becomes unpleasant. However, there are two side benefits to this situation. The first is that another 24 hours should see us in more benign seas, and they will feel really good! The second is that this provides a valuable lesson in watching how Wind Horse handles the varying combinations of peaks and valleys.

These conditions also reinforce what we’ve known for many years about yacht design. It is not how the boat looks or performs at anchor or at a boat show that is important. To be successful as a long-distance cruising yacht, design must center around the uncomfortable aspects of passage making – exactly what we’ve been experiencing on this voyage! Even though we normally avoid these conditions – with Beowulf we had roughly 1200 out of 40,000 miles in adverse waves – a boat that can handle this situation will do better in good weather as well.

This approach affects not only hull design and weight distribution, but interior layout, cabinet details, hand holds, even the way showers and toilets are situated. And the same comfort rules that apply to sail also apply to power. So, if you’re thinking of a stinkpot over sail, look for one that is designed to go to sea.

There is one huge difference between sail and power in these conditions. With a sailing design, there are an array of engineering issues that deal with the rig, fins, and stability required to carry sail power. These design requirements impose heavy trade-offs on the optimum configuration for comfort and security. With power, the design equation changes considerably. There are far fewer trade-offs, and designing strictly for comfort in confused sea states is a much more straightforward engineering problem.

One of the reasons last night may have been so lumpy could be adverse currents from the Erben Tablemount. These undersea mountains often upset local deep currents, churning the surface. We left Erben 20 miles to starboard, but in hindsight we should have added another 20 to this. Speaking of current, since leaving Honolulu we’ve been losing about 15 miles a day to a westerly setting flow. Now that we’re in the part of the world where the east side of the Pacific high usually resides, current flow has picked up. Right now we’re only showing 9.8 knots on the GPS at engine revs that normally push us at 11. We could kick up the RPMs of course, but we’re going to make landfall as it stands at an efficient time, and our speed will increase as we close with the coast. So we’re content to dawdle along at the present rate of speed – as long as it doesn’t go on for more than another day.

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1600 miles ago, in the heat of the tropics, we were dreaming of cool, overcast skies. Be careful what you wish for! It is a nice novelty for a few days. But in short order we’ll be thinking about warm, sunny skies, and inviting turquoise colored lagoons. Of course with a boat, you can just pick up the anchor and move. We are both now wearing long-sleeved shirts and socks or slippers.