This morning, it was so calm it was time to roll up the headsail and set the spinnaker. My Furlex furler wouldn't budge and it looked like and override inside the drum. Not the first time this has happened, the Furlex has been on my bad side since it seized up in Mexico. Well, after taking almost an hour to unwind all the line, I find it's not an override. I end up taking down the headsail (not easy by yourself), then setting the spinnaker to keep some forward momentum, while working on finding out what's wrong with the Furlex. I end up taking some part of it off, the drum cover never seemed that essential, but I didn't want to dismantle the whole thing. After all, I'm bouncing around up on deck and can almost guarantee that something essential will fall overboard, if I start on such a project. Alas, I decided I need to put the headsail back up without a working furler. The spinnaker was doing great, but has a small tear and I was worried that the expected stronger evening
winds would make it worse. Of course, the evening winds had arrived early. Just by the time I started taking the spinnaker down. It took some serious effort, but not as much effort as it took to put the headsail back on the track and hoist it by myself. After about and hour, I finally got it done. It's now 16:00 and I'm back on my regular sail plan. Full headsail (not like I have much choice) and a single furled main. I've got about 15 knots from my aft starboard quarter and that keeps me tugging along at 6-7 knots. Now I'm exhausted and it's time for some food.
Captain Petter from the helm of Bella Marina
