Bright Night

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Fri 15 Feb 2013 01:29
Noon Position: 42 57.2 S 145 13.9 E
Course: Drifting Speed: 0 knots
Wind: North F1 light air
Sea: calm Swell: south west 1 meters
Weather: sunny, mild
Day’s run: 90 nm

The last 24 hours have been the opposite of the previous 24, with the wind coming in mid afternoon, freshening overnight then disappearing this morning. Now we are drifting and rolling around on a swelly ocean, though I am pleased to say that the swell has abated considerably since yesterday. Despite the long periods of calm we made some good miles overnight, running square before the freshening south easterly, we even had to reef down for several hours. It was a beautiful clear night with the Milky Way shining its silver arc across the dark sky. The heavens were so bright I looked around for the moon, but there was none, the new moon having set a couple of hours after the sun. Out here on the west coast of Tasmania the air is crystal clear and there is minimal light pollution from cities and towns, only the odd lighthouse, regularly flashing its reassuring beacon along the coast.

Now we wait patiently for some more wind.

All is well.