Thursday 27th May
Vaquero
Thu 27 May 2010 12:16
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My position at 1200 UTC is 48 59.6N 14
14.3W
Almost becalmed - which in the ever
present swell is rather uncomfortable with everything slatting about as we
roll. Had a good run last night with plenty of wind, but it all died away
at dawn. Only another degree of westing and I shall have to change the
clocks aboard to local time. As I've kept them at BST, they'll go back two
hours to get back into kilter with nature.
Looking at the chart last night I realised that we
were going to pass close to one of the ODAS (Ocean Data Acquisition System)
buoys. There was a moment of concern about colliding with it if I nodded
off at the wrong moment, but then it occurred to me that the scale of the chart
I am using meant that 'close' as it looked on paper, it was in fact over twenty
miles distant. Bit like worrying about hitting the Orwell Bridge as you
come out of the Blackwater. So I never did see it. And on this North
Atlantic chart, the crossing only occupies three quarters of each side of the
chart folded - doesn't really look very far until you start plotting
the daily positions and realise how huge this body of water is. I turn the
chart over at 35W, so there'll be a celebration then. So far I've ony
managed to get past the soup stain at 13W.
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