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When the wind is blowing, I'm almost never behind the steering wheel. Then I use a windpilot, which is a mechanical wind steering that is supposed to maintain a course relative to the wind. The only drawback is if you are in the open sea and sleep "a little longer than planned". If the wind has changed direction, this means you have too. This can be the cause of a little grumpiness when you have been heading in the wrong direction for a couple of hours. The windpilot is in no control in a light breeze or when going by engine, and I have to get help from Robert, the electric autopilot. "He" can keep me on course when navigating by compass. I also use him as a sort of power steering during canal cruising and in ports, etc. I couldn't do without either one of them.


My wind vane is actually really annoying and I'm getting pretty tired of him. He simply isn't capable of steering in rough seas. Or even swells. And that is basically what it's like most of the time on the open sea. I'm surely going to replace my Ullermatic with another brand. There are many more disadvantages too. Had I only known a little bit more about it when I bought it, then I would have bought something different. There are several good ones out there, and I have yet to hear anything good about the Ullermatic. I just didn't do my research and put too much faith in what the salesman was telling.

- and then a little engine towards the next port
- and then a little engine towards the next port


It's a funny thing with seasickness. Well, not suffering from it, but getting over it. Today I think I'm past it and feel fine. I have always suffered from it, and it has always kept me from going on sailing trips with friends etc. At the start of this journey, I didn't eat very much during sailing. Mostly biscuits and such. I didn't really feel like eating. I would rather just lie down or scream into a bucket. But now I eat solid meals with gravy and lots of garniture. The first few times I ran into bad weather, I took a couple of pills. And when I reached the Bay of Biscay too - when I was expecting a storm for 24 hours. But the storm lasted 42 hours when it finally arrived. And I don't think two pills are going to cut it (then). I took them just in case. I know how poor you feel when you are seasick. And I'm not sure that seasick people always make the right decisions...

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From Esbjerg, Denmark to Tahiti aboard a Junker 22