The Spring Equinox comes with weather changes. From a fair breeze and sunshine to rainy and windy conditions, use to abate again to light airs. 

The Austral winter is over, and indeed lovely Spring (or even Summer) weather we certainly had yesterday. Clear skies and sunshine, dry and relatively warm temperatures. The Roaring 40’s have calmed down, a strong High Pressure System is ahead of us. The Depressions that should run free along the corridor of Low Pressure at those southern latitudes, see their path disturbed by it, passing even more southwards and leaving zones of relative atmospheric instability, variable and changeable winds both in strength and direction, just about in the area where we sail. 

Tonight rain falls and strong winds blow. They have been backing from a westerlyto a southerly direction and gradually increasing in force. With them, lines of squalls cross our way once more. Our course had changed too, now steering more eastwards and even east-northeast following close-hauled the whims of the winds. 

Yesterday we slowed down with almost allc anvas set, the ship just gently rolled, the decks were dry and for the whole day the sun was up in the blue sky. 

What a good chance to put in to practice some of the skills that we have been learning aboard since the start of the trip. On one side the conditions are good for continuing with some of the maintenance projects we have on our list of jobs, on the other hand there’s no better chance for a bit of a fun time on deck for a Pinrail chase, Knottying and setting/dousing sail game. 

Three bells rung after lunch signalling an on deck gathering. There the friendly competition is announced. 

Split in our three watches, plus a permanent crew team as well, we go through finding the lines and pins, tying the knots and setting the sail that the master of ceremonies call for us. The difficulty of the games increases both in the location of ropes and the different handicaps that the participants have to deal with. Potatoes and pins between legs come to the play, blindfolds and a “hosesquall”. 

Contest finished by coffee time, and the breeze becomes a light wind. The light wind rises to a good 25 kn and gusting stronger during the night, hours of darkness spiced up with the passing of frequent showers and the call for hands on deck to reduce and furlsail. 

And it is then, late at night, during the earlier hours of the 22nd of September in our time zone, when the Sun crossed over thecelestial equator. From today onwards, the Sun rises and sets more and more South of the equator, during the upcoming 3 months. The second half of a 6-month long southerlymovement, beginning with the June solstice when the Sun rises and sets at its most northern point. 

In the Northern Hemisphere signals the end of astronomical summer and the beginning of astronomicalautumn (autumnal equinox), while in the South tells us about the end of astronomical winter and the start of astronomical spring (vernal equinox). 

For us the beginning of spring brought all sorts of weather and winds, a knotty situation of Lows and Highs dancing with eachother, changing. The centre of a small depression is on our way, giving us first rain and a bit of wind, but once we close up to the middle of it, the wind dies down. Better try to ride the northern side of it. Routing carefully our course, Captain and Mates tell us to steer from a Southeasterly direction to a Northerly course, then back to try to gain some easting. Speed goes up and down, during some watches we advance barely anything, others the puffs of wind and the passing squalls give us a pull to gain some mileage.