Fickle winds
Moorglade's Voyage
Ted Wilson
Mon 29 Nov 2010 13:24
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Our position is 19:53.72N 18:50.56W
24 hour Run Log trip (through the
water) 102.5Nm (530.7Nm
cumulative)
24 hour Run GPS
(overground) 86.5Nm
Midday wind and weather
Force 1 SSE Hazy Sunny
Sea
state: Very
long 1meter swell but no waves.
Temperature: 30.5C The challenge of the last 24 hours has been to try
to use the forecast information we have to keep sailing in a more or less useful
direction. Now that time is up I don't think there was a better plan. We have at
times been making good progress in winds up to 15Knts but that has been more
than offset by light winds from ahead and periods when it was all we could do to
maintain steerage way during last night. We are currently motoring at low revs,
probably until the late afternoon when the wind should start to fill in from a
helpful NE direction. It is frustrating to be making such slow progress and
nothing we can do about it. It could be worse if we were further west we would
be looking at an extended period of quite strong SW winds and further to the
east a longer period of light winds and further to sail.
The easy conditions provide opportunity for other
activities like fishing. The rod has been deployed and tended by various crew
members yesterday afternoon. Peter cooked chicken chasseur for dinner, very
tasty.
We continue to add little refinements to the boat.
Yesterdays efforts were a rod holder for the pushpit and shockcord and velcro
straps to hold the jars and tins in the galley lockers on starboard
tack.
We had a close encounter of the shipping kind last
night when a freighter which Peter had been watching on AIS for 15 miles
and was passing us on our starboard side suddenly turned towards us. Scary to
see white lights in line and both red and green. Urgent radio call and starting
the engine were called for. (we were sailing at less than 3Kts) The response
from the officer of the watch was unimpressive but he did turn to port and
missed us ok.
The weather last night was hot humid and today
while sunny is still very humid 75%RH.
This morning a small school of whales were spotted
close enough to identify clearly through the binoculars, but too far away to
photograph. Made a nice change from dolphins.
EJW
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