We sailed through a cold front this afternoon that saw winds gusting over 40 knots. Since then we have been skirting the southern edge of a zone of strong winds that occasionally reach down and smack us.

At night we sail with a sail set suited for the strongest winds we expect. Tonight that would be 35 knots, and from time to time it does get that strong. The rest of the time we are a little under canvased and moving slower that we might otherwise.

Your perspective shifts. Winds of 40 knots become “strong” and winds of 20 knots seem positively balmy…

The forecast is for lighter winds over the next couple of days. Maybe we get caught up on our sleep!