Day 6, Passage to Puerto Montt

2000Z 27SEP19, Day 6, Easter Island to Puerto Montt, Chile. We are back to making good progress and in the right direction! The weather is getting cooler each day. The sea temp is down to 57F (14C) and the daytime air temp to 62F (17C). The winds have steadily filled in and we are mostly seeing 25kts +/- 5kts. We've gone from sailing a broad reach to a beam reach since beginning sailing again yesterday afternoon.

Current Position: 34 36S / 099 04W
24 hour progress: 149nm, 6.2kts avg SOG
Overall progress for the passage is 751nm with approximately 1260nm to the entrance canal to get to Puerto Montt. The weather is chilly and sunny. We are sailing a starboard tack, beam reach, with 3 reefs in the main and 2 in the genoa. Winds are currently 25kts true +/-5kts and the seas are big and rolly.

The crew are all doing well. We are all happy to be sailing and moving along again. Cooking and accomplishing tasks in the galley are challenging with the seas as you are continuously being knocked about as you try to stand and balance. We've seen some new birds - a different type of albatross and perhaps a new type of petrel. Our 4 white chinned petrels are still around. It's probably good fishing with all these birds, but it's too rough for us to bother putting the line out.

We've begun seriously thinking about digging out warmer clothes and blankets. Megan has been dreaming about fuzzy pile layers and slippers stowed deep beneath the bed. Warm duvets will undoubtedly be dug out in Puerto Montt, but an expedition may have to be mounted to excavate some warmer clothing sooner. The cats too have been seeking warmer spots to lie and more food to bolster their prodigious heat output. A cat on the lap can be a useful watch companion, and we are reminded of how much we love our enclosed pilot house every time we step outside or watch a wave splash over the deck.