Searching

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Mon 13 Aug 2007 18:17

Noon Position:  50 00.6 N  054 52.6  W

Course West Speed 3.5 knots

Daily run:  75 miles

Average Speed:  3 knots

 

Once again we have been confounded by light winds, still the plan roughly came together, just took a bit longer and required quite a bit of motoring.  We transited the island and rock strewn waters of Hamilton sound, and while there was little wind, the sunny skies and calm seas made for a relaxing passage through a potentially difficult piece of navigation.  Early yesterday evening we cleared the plethora of small islands at the northwest end of the Sound and once more Sylph was rising and falling with the ocean swells.  It was a short distance to Twillingate, we had a choice, go to anchor for the night or stay at sea.  The crew chose the latter option as giving us a greater chance of finding an iceberg before Paul has to leave the ship.  The wind was fitful during the night, we sailed when it came and drifted when it left us, thus slowly working our way off shore trying to place ourselves in a good position to search in earnest this morning.  

So far – nothing.  There are icebergs reported to be in the area, apparently 4 in about a 1200 square mile patch of ocean.  We figure that at an average speed of 4 knots and a visual sweep width of about 10 miles we can cover about 560 square miles in 14 hours of daylight.  Now applying some search theory, assuming these 4 icebergs are randomly placed in the search area our probability of detecting an iceberg is going to be … hmm, well actually I don’t know but it has got to be a fair chance.

Tonight we will continue to sail and drift and then tomorrow we must start heading for Lewisporte where Paul has to connect with a bus.  Wish us luck.