Rhumb lines

Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Tue 6 Apr 2010 17:19
April 5th 0948 Ships Time 1648 UTC       
 
01:51.08S 093:14.71W
 
We are off to a good start in the Pacific. The rhumb line is 3000 miles and goes from Galapagos at 0deg to the Marquesas at 9deg South. This line should pick up the west going equatorial currents and should be far enough south to avoid the equatorial counter current. This current could be about 1.5 knots meaning up to a "free" 36 miles per day or over the duration of the passage a "free" 500 - 600 miles. This is not to be ignored but so far we have not found it, but then neither have we had any counter current so we hope to pick up the current in the next couple of days. We estimate a passage time of 18 days. 
 
We have had a lot of VHF contact and unbelievably after the umpteenth attempt at use - SSB reception, albeit from perhaps within VHF range.
The SSB requires good atmospheric conditions to work, "good propogation" as it is known and we may just have been very unlucky to date. This however would not explain why when we tested it in an anchorage the other boat could hear us and we could not hear them. We will continue to test it in various conditions with the boats that we know are on passage to the Marquesas. So far we have been speaking to Grace an Australian Hallberg Rassy and to Emily Grace an American Nordhaven 46 (motor/ trawler yacht) We are hooking up at 0700 Galapagos time and actually it is so good to be able to gab for free - satellite connections are very expensive.
 
We are currently having driech and drizzly weather albeit at 28deg C. The wind is blowing almost directly to the Marquesas at 12 knots - probably our worst point of sail and  sailing conditions - so right now we are pointing at the Antarctic - not Marquesas. This is not currently a huge problem as "conventional wisdom" suggests dropping below the rhumb line and away from the equator to pick up the South East trades - but I am getting a slight feeling of De ja vu.
 
We are working watches of 4 hours on 4 hours off ( Angus and I ) and Trish is feeding and watering us and has taken on the domestics. All seem happy with this split so far. 
 
No fish landed, but dont worry you will hear all about it if we do.
 
Correction: We have actually landed one fish in the last 24 hours. Last night we got a flying fish in through a saloon hatch and down behind our recliners. Annoying.