May 28th Position 38:57.55N 68:55.75W
Symatchmaker
Thu 28 May 2009 18:11
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At Sea - Day 11
Day`s run .. 123 miles.
The distance run over the last 24 hours was
hampered by the ENE flow of the Gulf Stream. In actual fact our speed through
the water was quite satisfactory.
During late evening we had strenghtening winds and
the seas were very
big and rolly. At about 11.30pm Matchmaker appeared to "stop" -
our speed over the ground read 1.5 knots! - yet we had reefed sail up, and
the water was rushing past the hull. It seemed we had entered head first into
the Gulf Stream. 3 - 5 knots against us and then.... the wind just
dropped - like someone hit the "Off Button" - The sails were
tricky to control - and the boat became like a random paper cup in a raging
river. We packed away all sails and started the engine. Still tricky to control
- it was as if the propellor had fallen off !
We altered course to the North to cut across this
invisable river of water. 40 miles later the escaltor stopped, we had
popped out the other end, and our normal speed through the water resumed.
By dawn the sea was again flat and normal with a South Easterly breeze setting
in to waft us along again in a steady fashion towards our objective.
We eventually worked it out, nothing was wrong with
the propeller and boat speed, but in fact there was a big shift in the Ocean's
current - where the cold sea meets the warm to create the Gulf Stream. The Gulf
Stream is not a normal current, it is in fact a narrow and clearly defined river
of warm water that rushes north and east - it is the source of our mild
winters in the UK and the reason Palm trees can grow in sheltered areas in
Western Isles of Scotland. It is one of the major engines in the Earths weather
system.
For Matchmaker crew it was an awesome and humbling
experience.
Our little atom on the Atlantic sea continues North
East. We are currently sailing smoothly and comfortably at 7 knots. We are
nicely on course for Newport and expect to get in on Saturday morning - we
will take the last few hours slow - because we do not want to enter a
strange area in the dark - our appraoch will be a Dawn arrival to the shipping
lanes and a mid - morning arrival at Newport Shipyard - where we have reserved a
berth.
Highlights;
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