Rhumb lines
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Tue 6 Apr 2010 17:19
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April 5th 0948 Ships Time 1648
UTC
01:51.08S 093:14.71W
We are off to a good start in the Pacific. The
rhumb line is 3000 miles and goes from Galapagos at 0deg to the Marquesas at
9deg South. This line should pick up the west going equatorial currents and
should be far enough south to avoid the equatorial counter current. This current
could be about 1.5 knots meaning up to a "free" 36 miles per day or over the
duration of the passage a "free" 500 - 600 miles. This is not to be ignored but
so far we have not found it, but then neither have we had any counter current so
we hope to pick up the current in the next couple of days. We estimate a passage
time of 18 days.
We have had a lot of VHF contact and
unbelievably after the umpteenth attempt at use - SSB reception, albeit from
perhaps within VHF range.
The SSB requires good atmospheric conditions to
work, "good propogation" as it is known and we may just have been very
unlucky to date. This however would not explain why when we tested it in an
anchorage the other boat could hear us and we could not hear them. We will
continue to test it in various conditions with the boats that we know are
on passage to the Marquesas. So far we have been speaking to Grace an
Australian Hallberg Rassy and to Emily Grace an American Nordhaven 46
(motor/ trawler yacht) We are hooking up at 0700 Galapagos time and
actually it is so good to be able to gab for free - satellite connections are
very expensive.
We are currently having driech and drizzly weather
albeit at 28deg C. The wind is blowing almost directly to the Marquesas at
12 knots - probably our worst point of sail and sailing conditions -
so right now we are pointing at the Antarctic - not Marquesas. This is not
currently a huge problem as "conventional wisdom" suggests dropping below the
rhumb line and away from the equator to pick up the South East
trades - but I am getting a slight feeling of De ja vu.
We are working watches of 4 hours on 4 hours
off ( Angus and I ) and Trish is feeding and watering us and has taken on
the domestics. All seem happy with this split so far.
No fish landed, but dont worry you will hear all
about it if we do.
Correction: We have actually landed one fish in the
last 24 hours. Last night we got a flying fish in through a saloon hatch and
down behind our
recliners. Annoying.
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