At noon today, it will have been one week since I left Cabo San Lucas, MX, 2612 nm as the crow flies to Hiva Oa, Marquesses. I still have 1900 miles to sail (as the crow flies), meaning I have travelled (2612-1890)/2612×100=28% of the way. However, progress on the first leg was slow for several reasons. The winds were generally lighter than they are now (although I still have the ITCZ ahead of me) and I took a detour to San Benedicto.
My current weather model has me arriving in the Marquesas in two weeks, but I believe that’s optimistic. That model has me sailing almost due west until Thursday, then south (meaning several days of sailing are just to optimally position me with respect to the wind). At 60 nm per degree, I should move two degrees south per day, putting me at the equator about the middle of next week. As I get closer to the ITCZ, I will choose my crossing. (Non-dead zones open up and are different day-to-day). I’d really like to make the passage from Cabo to the Marquesas without ever turning my engine on.
On another note, I am nine degrees further west than when I left San Carlos, meaning sunrise and sunset are almost a half hour later. I crossed the Tropic of Cancer (northernmost latitude that the sun can be directly overhead) around the time I anchored in Los de Los Meurtos. I am also about nine degrees latitude south of that point, meaning the sun is becoming more directly overhead. Although it won’t be until I am near the equator, the loss of latitude is evident as the sun rises almost directly to my stern as I am sailing west.
I crossed a time zone near Isla San Benedicto (eastern Mexico and the southern half of Baja are on Arizona time, UTC-7), whereas I am now UTC-8 (same time as California and northern Baja). I will cross another time zone about the time I cross the equator (UTC-9). But, interestingly enough, French Polynesia (including the Marquesas) have their own time zone (UTC-9.5). There are a few other places in the world with one-half hour time zones (i.e., Iran). So, my trip from Mexico to the Marquesas will cross from the Northern (Spring) to the Southern (Fall) hemispheres and will cross three time zones.
My current weather model has me arriving in the Marquesas in two weeks, but I believe that’s optimistic. That model has me sailing almost due west until Thursday, then south (meaning several days of sailing are just to optimally position me with respect to the wind). At 60 nm per degree, I should move two degrees south per day, putting me at the equator about the middle of next week. As I get closer to the ITCZ, I will choose my crossing. (Non-dead zones open up and are different day-to-day). I’d really like to make the passage from Cabo to the Marquesas without ever turning my engine on.
On another note, I am nine degrees further west than when I left San Carlos, meaning sunrise and sunset are almost a half hour later. I crossed the Tropic of Cancer (northernmost latitude that the sun can be directly overhead) around the time I anchored in Los de Los Meurtos. I am also about nine degrees latitude south of that point, meaning the sun is becoming more directly overhead. Although it won’t be until I am near the equator, the loss of latitude is evident as the sun rises almost directly to my stern as I am sailing west.
I crossed a time zone near Isla San Benedicto (eastern Mexico and the southern half of Baja are on Arizona time, UTC-7), whereas I am now UTC-8 (same time as California and northern Baja). I will cross another time zone about the time I cross the equator (UTC-9). But, interestingly enough, French Polynesia (including the Marquesas) have their own time zone (UTC-9.5). There are a few other places in the world with one-half hour time zones (i.e., Iran). So, my trip from Mexico to the Marquesas will cross from the Northern (Spring) to the Southern (Fall) hemispheres and will cross three time zones.