N02:41.54 E110:05.6

Tiger Balm on Tour
Gordon Millar & Colette Mullins
Sun 13 Nov 2011 16:22
Time: 0019 (Nearly on time!)
 
SOG:  8.2
COG:  243
DTG:  379.4nm
ETA:  46hrs 00mins
 
The weather forecasters at buoyweather.com get todays prize.  The wind and waves have been pretty well exactly what they predicted.  We are now in almost zero wind, with the swell reducing, and almost no wind waves.  The currents we have been experiencing are associated the full moon tides.  When the tide is in flood we pick up about 1 to1.5 kts, and when it is ebbing the reverse. We have made good speed all afternoon with the reducing swell we lifted the remaining stabiliser at midnight (hence the late report) , which has allowed us to increase speed to over 8kts with a power reduction.
 
Saw 2 amazing birds today - Frigate birds we think. They saw us and came traight at us, we presume, because with the booms out we look like a local fishing boat.  They made a couple of very close, graceful flybyes then moved off.  Their flying style looked effortless, just using the wind and waves to soar and skim. Brilliant!