Day 14 - Experimenting with a section of the Jordan Series drogue
Blue Note
Marco M.
Tue 30 Dec 2014 19:50
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Date: Tuesday 12/30/14 - Time: 13:40 UTC Position 16:47.705N 56:22.31W COG 320M SOG 6.1kt, Wind 96T 17 kt, Temperatures: Air 28.9C, Sea 24.6C Last 24h Sailed Distance: 154 NM Last 24h Decrease Distance on rhumb line: 150 NM Sailed distance since departure: 2005 NM Time since departure: 13d 0h 29m Average Speed since departure: 5.90 kt Average VMG since departure: 5.29 kt Average speed last 24h: 6.43 kt Intention: sail to Virgin Gorda Distance to End on rhumb line: 469 NM ETA: Friday January 2, 2015 Detailed Track (50 is the maximum number of point, i.e. once the last point reaches 50, the last point always is 50): http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0EIVGO9oiEYLjqAfRxhderm34cEEF9dMP Here is the promised birthday menu on Blue Note of December 29: - Farfalle con sugo di burro e salvia served with a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano di Parma - Mahai-Mahai saute' with olive oil and capers served with Vino Verde di Portugal. - Chocolate mouse with rum. Food was so good and crew so hungry that all we forgot to take pictures. In the afternoon of Dec 29 the wind increased to 20 to 22 kts and Blue Note was riding at hull speed with peaking SOG of 8.5 kts. Before putting a reef in the main sail we experimented with a section (15 small parachute) of the Jordan Series drogue. This is section (together with another of 20 elements) was made when I ordered the Jordan Series drogue as a tool to slow down Blue Note and stabilize its course when running in high wind and big sea. The use of the 15 elements section of yesterday includes also attaching a 15 ft chain section as weight, a lead rode and a bridle. The deployment was a bit more complicated that predicted, perhaps because of using as lead rode a too long section of a 200 ft anchor rode. It was also surprising how much force this simple 15 element section can exhort. The speed of the boat was slightly reduced maybe by about 0.5 kts but we all agreed that its movement was more smooth and the drogue helped keep the stern in line with the wind. This is exactly the principle that should help the full Jordan series drogue (made of about 250 elements) to prevent broaching of the boat in a running sea and storm winds. To retrieve the drogue we heave-to for few minutes. After this "experiment" we did put one reef into the main sail and at night sailed without the jib on a rhumb line course.  Since we left Mindelo we have been looking for other ship at the horizon without success. Chris had bet to see one the day of his birthday, so Yael made sure that the wish of the birthday boy did not went unfulfilled.  Sunset in the Atlantic - December 30. |