Day 12: STT -> Azores - In the Middle of the Atlantic

Blue Note
Marco M.
Thu 9 May 2013 15:08
Date: Thursday 09/05/13 - Time: 12:00 Blue Note Time - 11:00 EDT - 15:00 UTC
Position 29:46.8N 45:17.9W
COG 80T SOG 5.5kt, Wind 18T 14 kt, Barometer 1015.6 stable
Temperatures: Air 19.7C, Sea 16.8C
Last 24h Sailed Distance: 130 NM
Last 24h Decrease Distance on rhumb line: 119 NM
Sailed distance since departure: 1408 NM
Time since departure: 12d 2h 00m
Average Speed since departure: 4.85 kt
Average VMG since departure: 4.36 kt
Intention: sail to Horta
Distance to End on rhumb line: 979 NM
ETA: Sunday May 19, 2013
Diesel consumption:
- 50 gallon left
- 57% diesel burned with 56% of passage done, ratio = 0.99
- 106 hours left motoring
- 420 range left on motoring
- Ratio of Distance_to_End/Range_on_Engine = 2.33

On May 9 at 12:00 UTC (three hours ago) we reached the middle of the Atlantic.
We were the farthest from any land:
- 1000 NM from Horta
- 1000 NM from Bermuda
- 1080 NM from New Foundland
- 1150 NM from Antigua
- 1350 NM from Cape Verde
- 1450 NM from the Canaries Island
- 1540 NM from New York

The wind continues to blow at 12-18 kts and we have not been running the engine for the last 4 days.
The 200W solar panels and the D400 Wind generator have been keeping the batteries charged between 80 and 92%.
The forecast are for the wind to continues but in two days the wind might shift more to the east and probably forced us to tack.
Is still not clear if we will make it for the May 21 flight from Ponte Delgada, but most luckily we will have to skip the stop at Horta and the beer at Peter's Cafe' Sport.

The Frenchman is determined to catch his first Mahi Mahi but so far with no luck.


Emacs!

Steady temperature decrease since we left the Caribbean


JPEG image