The ship’s journal from the Delivery from Mallorca to Fiji

Update 17/01/25 1500 CET 44 Nm West of Safi Morocco.

In the last 24 hours we covered 183 NM. That’s a respectable average of 7,6 knots. Around here, the coastline is littered with fishing buoys and hundreds of old, traditional wooden fishing boats, each displaying no more than a faint lantern.

In these last 2 days I broke a rule I set before the trip: “We will not sail upwind.” The true wind is on the beam (at a 90⁰ angle) but the apparent wind has been up to 45⁰ at times. However, the ocean swell is not as rough as the short chop of the Med. Jan and Sara slept poorly due to the waves pounding against the inside of the hull, about where their heads are when they are trying to sleep. On the flybridge it feels at times as if you are driving over a charming cobblestone road. Below it feels at times as if cobblestones are being thrown at the hull. But the wind has now veered from the west further northwest which is favourable for us. There will be a patch of light air south of us which we hope to avoid by aiming for Lanzarote before turning to Las Palmas.

We are definitely getting into a rhythm. What strikes me is that our ETA is hardly a point of discussion. Most of all, not even once have the kids asked when we will arrive!

Conditions allow for some maintenance. Mostly lubrication and rust prevention.

As I am writing this, Ocean is polishing the stainless steel while the others are having a nap after a nice “leftover” lunch.