Day 7 - Windy night
Blue Note
Marco M.
Sat 18 Nov 2017 17:30
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Date: Saturday 18/11/17 - Time: 12:00 EST Position 24:07.7N 66:38.24W COG 157T SOG 6.5kt, Wind 35T 20.5 kt, Temperatures: Air 25 C, Sea 33.6 C Barometer: 1007 hPa - raising Sailed distance since departure: 1114 NM Last 24h Sailed Distance: 166 NM Last 24h Decrease Distance on rhumb line: 164 NM Time since departure: 7d 5h 00m Average Speed since departure: 6.44 kt Average VMG since departure: 5.77 kt Average VMG speed last 24h: 6.83 kt Intention: sail to Antigua Distance to End on rhumb line: 500 NM ETA : Wednesday Nov 22, 2017 @ 13:00 Detailed Track: https://share.garmin.com/svBlueNote It was a cloudy, dark and windy night with average wind speed of 25 kts and peaks of 28 kts. The sea built to about 2 meters with waves that occasionally crashed on the port side of Blue Note and over the bow. We sailed with a partially furled jib and two reefs in the mainsail on a beam reach that overall was quite comfortable and still allowed for the non-on watch crew to have a rest. This morning the wind decreased to about 20 kts and the sky is clear and slowly the sea is decreasing too. The forecast are for the wind to slowly decrease as we approach and cross the stationary front (not occluded as erroneously indicated in yesterday blog). Probably the "iron spinnaker" will have to assist us in crossing the area of no wind of the stationary front. Riccardo, who sailed with Blue Note in 2015 from Oxford to St. Thomas noticed that this year sea temperature is significantly higher than in 2015 when it was about 28 C. It could be a problem with the sensor or a remarkable evidence of warmer sea temperature resulting from from global warning that has caused the numerous destructive hurricanes of this year. Will have to check what the NOAA buoys are reporting for water temperature in the area. For a moment this morning we also thought to have lost refrigeration, since we noticed that the temperature in the fridge had increase. Luckily it turns out that the thermostat contact to the fridge compressor had corroded a bit and some cleaning was enough to get the fridge to start working again.  Today weather chart showing with a red dot the position of Blue Note  November 17 sunset.  Attempting to continue the Thai-Chi tradition on Blue Note initiated by Louis |