Pacific paso doble
Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Wed 8 May 2013 23:21
04:49.542S 106:52.513W
Wednesday 8th May 2013
Distance run so far: 861
Distance run Day 7: 131
Total distance run: 992
nmiles
Just 8 nmiles short of the first 1000!
Another very nice day at sea. Wind and sea
very moderate so a nice, comfortable ride. Plenty of time to get some
chores done and then some for a crossword or two.
Lots of splashing and leaping could be seen off the
port beam this morning which we think were tuna trying to escape a pod of
dolphins. Still seeing sea birds, though not been able to identify them
yet.
You would think that with all these thousands of
miles of searoom we wouldn't have to worry too much about bumping into other
boats. Not so earlier today, when Scott-Free and Sheer
Tenacity found themselves on converging courses. Well not that
surprising really, considering we set off from the same place and are going to
the same place and the shortest way there is to sail along the rhumb line, a
straight line between the two. The pic of the chart plotter below shows
the situation. Our course and speed are at the top, and ST's is
below it. CPA means 'Closest Point of Approach', which means the closest
they will come to you as they pass. 36 feet is just a little too close for
both our likings! The chart plotter pic is just for illustration, we
didn't need it to know they were getting a bit close!
The chartplotter shows our
courses.
Hence the Pacific paso doble - we altered course to
starboard and they altered course to port, and in a little boat dance they
passed safely behind our stern and we both continued on our merry
way.
Sheer Tenacity running downwind
goosewinged.