Plodding Along

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sat 23 Aug 2008 18:04
Noon Position: 46 02.6 N 054 09.9 W

Course: West; Speed: 4.5 knots

Wind: South sou'west, moderate breeze

Weather: Sunny, clear skies

Day's Run: 103 miles



We are sitting under a big fat 1030 HPa high, the dense air is descending upon us, out-flowing somewhere to a lower pressure system, and as it descends the air gets denser and warms up and dries out and we have lovely clear blue skies all around. The wind is from the south sou'west. This puts the high somewhere to the southeast out in the North Atlantic.

We had fog last night, but now the sun is up it is gone. I put a reef in last night as the winds were gusting to 20 knots or so, now they have subsided to a nice steady 15. I am thinking about shaking out the reef but we are plodding along at such a pleasant 4 ½ knots that I am loathe to do so, especially as BC is out here in the cockpit with me enjoying the sunshine. Undoubtedly taking the reef out would only disturb him and send him below. No hurry. The wind is forecast to increase again later this afternoon - ½ a knot or so of extra speed for a couple of hours is not going to make much difference in the scheme of things.

My voyage was supposedly about promoting debate about global warming and encouraging positive action to do something about it. I can't exactly say I have achieved that mission. I decided early on in the voyage that no one would really want to hear my sole thoughts - that hardly constitutes a debate. So I have left it at tossing my little time capsule with Al Gore's book and my letter to the "next generation".

Bob Cat sits in the sun, curled in a BC ball, content, sleeping, not thinking. My old boat. We have done a lot of miles together. This Greenland trip has added a few. I'm going to have to get some serious maintenance done while I am back in Annapolis this winter.



Bob Cat:



Conditions are significantly improved, I am rather enjoying some sunshine out on the patio just now.

I learned some disturbing news while cloistered in my study yesterday. I have managed to establish a line of communication with our resident rodent down aft, as long as he stays on his side of the bulkhead all will be fine. Copernicus, that is what he calls himself, reckons that the reason the cat in the Bookstore window is battery operated is because the lease does not allow pets. I asked the rodent what about him, he said that was different, he was a mouse and not a pet, besides, he is imaginary. Now this stopped me for a while. Regardless, it is outrageous, what's to be done? There must be a way, change the lease, start a petition, better yet, Miss Mary buy the building.

Time to follow my own advice, sleep on it.

Zzzzzzz.