Barometer Rising

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Tue 9 Jun 2009 15:37
Noon Position: 50 42.0 N 034 51.2 W
Course: East sou'east 5 knots
Wind: East nor'east, moderate to fresh
Weather: Overcast, mild. Sea: moderate
Day's Run: 129 miles

NP 136 "Ocean Passages for the World", Part II SailingVessel Routes, 9.44.01: Routes from Canada and east coast United States for English Channel, "owing to the prevailing fair winds and favourable currents, great circle or rhumb line courses may be steered as desired, provided care is taken to avoid ice."

OK, so 'm heading just a little north of the English Channel, but not much. If you can't trust NP136, the great historic tome produced by the Hydrogapher of the Royal Navy, what can we trust in this uncertain world. But one has to learn to be a little philosophical about such things, as Dom Degnon said, "The lovely thing about cruising is that planning usually turns out to be of little use"

We've been close hauled now punching into fresh headwinds for the past four days and it looks likely to continue for several more yet. At midday we tacked, much grumblings from the cat. The wind has moderated a little, sufficient to loose a reef, the barometer is rising steadily so it is safe to say the low has passed us. The plan, with the proviso noted above, is now to head behind the low where we can expect the wind to back further towards the north, hopefully giving us a beam reach towards our destination. I have been poring over the weather charts the last day or so, it seems another low is building up over Newfoundland and will soon head out across the Atlantic, along the 50th parallel. I expect it will overtake us before we get to Ireland, but if the timing is just right, if we're lucky, the southerly winds in the front of it might scoop us up for the final leg north to the west coast of Ireland..

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Bob Cat:

I'm all at sea, just when I thought I'd got things down pat it all changes, the bunk is leaning the other way, the food bowl is now an up hill climb, and the portal to the kitty head is facing downhill - I'm not sure whether I want my bottom facing uphill or downhill into the breeze. Confusion reigns.

All is well.

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