The day when the Europa stood still… for a couple of hours.

Clew-up Royals and Top Gallants, brail-in the Spanker. Brace one mast sharp in one tack, the other in the opposite one. Let Lower and Middle Staysails fall aback.

The Europa comes to a stop in the middle of the ocean. Hove-to, she just slowly drifts sideways.

That would give us the necessary time for maintenance. One of the projects is better to do when the ship isn’t sailing. Top sail buntlines need a re-do, its halyard is replaced by a brand new line. Trysail is bent-on along the Mizzen boom. As soon as the ship stops, crew is busy from up the masts and yards to down below in the engine room.

Two hours and ten minutes later, once the maintenance work is complete, it is time to go back sailing. Wind has eased during the day to a fair westerly blowing about 20kn. The renowned latitudes of the Furious 50’s actually welcomed us in one of their occasionally quiet moods.

Brace, set sail. The ship resumes her way, steering on a southeast course at a speed just over 5.5kn, under the influence of a stretched high pressure system north of us, while to the south, both ahead and behind, two Lows develop.

Between the sailing and the short drifting time, today she sailed 151 nautical miles. Looking backwards, Auckland lies 2776 nm away. Looking forward, 2202 nm to reach the Horn.