Waiting for the wind

The sun came out for awhile today which was a nice break from the gray on gray (a far less interesting version of Fifty Shades!) as we waited for the wind to clock back to the NW or N and build enough to allow us to sail. At 2am it's still just 8kts from the WNW and the double reefed main is still slatting so we're plodding along at 1800RPM to conserve fuel, making about 6kts. The forecast is for the wind to build a bit by the morning so we can start sailing (getting very low on fuel) and then build to a full 24kts by this time Friday morning. Then it's supposed to die off again as we pass the Farallone Islands, enter the ship channel and approach the Golden Gate. So we need to save some fuel for the home stretch.

Definitely more ship traffic in the last 24hrs. Probably half a dozen ships crossed our radar screen, all of them no closer than about 15 miles. Currently being approached by one that says it's destination is Vancouver (so why so far out here?) that is supposed to pass within 4.5nm.

We finished the last of the chocolate chip cookies so we must be getting close to San Francisco! I broke out of the "defrost, heat and eat" paradigm today and cooked myself a grilled cheese sandwich with some nice multigrain bread Fay bought in Honolulu and aged cheddar cheese from New Zealand that we bought in Moorea. Looking forward to Fay's pasta casserole tomorrow night.

Earlier tonight as the sun set it revealed the waxing crescent moon which produced a nice reflection off the water for an hour or two before the moon set as well, revealing a star filled sky. The sky remained clear until about half an hour ago when the overcast spread quickly after Paul went off watch and now I am immersed in darkness. No moon, no stars, just darkness with a little bio luminescence in the water, stirred up by the prop and trailing in our wake. The water temperature continues to drop, now at 61F and leaving New Morning is covered with a thick layer of condensation. The forecast says the water temp will drop to 50F, but that seems colder than the usual temperatures off the coast at this time of year so I'm a little skeptical. In any case it's cold and damp on deck, but the Espar heater keeps the cabin toasty warm.

ETA: Friday morning 9-10am