Current Position: 10 27.603’S 111 50.787’E; Local Timezone: UTC+8 SOG: 6.3 kt; COG: 268; TWS: 18 kt; TWD: 126; Distance to Waypoint (Christmas Island, 270): 363 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 10681 nm; Engine Hours: 242; Estimate Fuel: 51+11+50;
Comments: Just before dusk I was following a boat on the AIS that I was going to cross paths with. I thought I was a fishing boat, but later it came up as a 328’ “pleasure boat”, the Mutiara. However, it was only going 4.5 kt. I adjusted my course so that I could safely pass in front of it. As I waited until we approached our closest distance, hoping I caught a glimpse of it, a rain shower passed in front of the boat. “Squirrel” ..: my attention was drawn to the shower, wishing it would dump some water on me. It has been months since the boat was washed down and there is a thick coating of salt in everything … including me. My boat picked up speed interim, 7 kt, while the other boat slowed a bit to 4 kt, so the distance between us when we passed was going to be more than I expected. I finally spotted the boat when we were 3 nm apart. We passed within 2 nm at 17:30, about 40m before sunset. I could never really tell what it was, some sort of powerboat. I didn’t get any rain either. Around 20:00 it started gusting in the low 20s, as predicted, and I had to adjust the windvane. I saw the light of one fishing boat behind me but none in front, so I set an alarm for 1h. At 21:00 there were distant lights off the starboard bow, so a set an alarm for 30m. At 21:30 it was clear I was going to avoid the fishing boat on the starboard bow. I was doing close to 7 kt in 21 kt wind. There was broken radio chatter. I set an alarm for 45m. At 22:20 I had already passed the fishing boat on the starboard and saw nothing ahead, so set an alarm for 45m. At 23:15, I saw no lights ahead and set an alarm for 45m. 15m later the boat rounded up in a gust. The wind had veered to 150. There was a lot of weather helm in a beam reach and I needed to adjust the windvane. At this point PW has me gaining latitude and moving S, but I am trying to avoid that if I can as it adds 50-75 nm. The boat is surfing at 7.8 kt. I passed another fishing boat in the distance off the starboard about 00:30. I do not see any lights ahead, so set an alarm for 45m. 1:30 no lights. 2:40, lights off the starboard and port bow, but neither in the way. 3:15, lights off off starboard bow, but not in the way. 4:15 nothing ahead. It is 5:20. Sunrise will be at about 6:40. I just passed 13E, so am now further W than Australia and in a new timezone (UTC+7). I will start using that timezone with the next log entry. Light clouds this morning. I finally have the following seas I have been waiting on. I really have not had them since crossing the GBR. I enjoyed breakfast in the cockpit, including the last slice of mincemeat bread I purchased in Darwin the day before I left. It was round, baked in a can, and it’s held up pretty well during the past almost three weeks. There was a fairly large rain storm just N, but it looked clear windward. Funny … I dodged squalls in the South Pacific, but I’d steer towards one now if it meant a good soaking. I threw a flying fish overboard and a seabird promptly picked it up. I declare my back healed. For the first time since it was bruised on Monday, I don’t feel any pain or stiffness. I believe all the gymnastics of the past week helped the healing process by stretching the muscles and improving circulation. I averaged almost 7 kt overnight. The winds will be lighter later today, but I am still averaging 6.5 at 7:30, helped in part by the following seas. The latest PW has me drifting S, the jibing repeatedly to return to the rhumb line, but for now I am able to maintain the course towards the waypoint. It is 11:00 and after several days of roughy seas, the sailing is very pleasant. All of the clouds have burned off and the sea has settled down. The water is the deep blue color of deep water in bright sunlight. I have spent the whole morning in the cockpit and I just put in a fishing line. The winds are lighter, 14-18, but the boat is moving well, averaging 6.3 kt, because there is less rolling and the wind is getting dumped from the sails less often. The distance sailed towards Christmas Island in the last 24h was 515-363=152 nm. The total distance sailed was 10691-10525=166 nm (166/24=6.9 kt avg.). This is my best day in a long time. The change in wind direction means I have begun loosing distance S, so the actual distance I will need to sail will be more than 323.
Comments: Just before dusk I was following a boat on the AIS that I was going to cross paths with. I thought I was a fishing boat, but later it came up as a 328’ “pleasure boat”, the Mutiara. However, it was only going 4.5 kt. I adjusted my course so that I could safely pass in front of it. As I waited until we approached our closest distance, hoping I caught a glimpse of it, a rain shower passed in front of the boat. “Squirrel” ..: my attention was drawn to the shower, wishing it would dump some water on me. It has been months since the boat was washed down and there is a thick coating of salt in everything … including me. My boat picked up speed interim, 7 kt, while the other boat slowed a bit to 4 kt, so the distance between us when we passed was going to be more than I expected. I finally spotted the boat when we were 3 nm apart. We passed within 2 nm at 17:30, about 40m before sunset. I could never really tell what it was, some sort of powerboat. I didn’t get any rain either. Around 20:00 it started gusting in the low 20s, as predicted, and I had to adjust the windvane. I saw the light of one fishing boat behind me but none in front, so I set an alarm for 1h. At 21:00 there were distant lights off the starboard bow, so a set an alarm for 30m. At 21:30 it was clear I was going to avoid the fishing boat on the starboard bow. I was doing close to 7 kt in 21 kt wind. There was broken radio chatter. I set an alarm for 45m. At 22:20 I had already passed the fishing boat on the starboard and saw nothing ahead, so set an alarm for 45m. At 23:15, I saw no lights ahead and set an alarm for 45m. 15m later the boat rounded up in a gust. The wind had veered to 150. There was a lot of weather helm in a beam reach and I needed to adjust the windvane. At this point PW has me gaining latitude and moving S, but I am trying to avoid that if I can as it adds 50-75 nm. The boat is surfing at 7.8 kt. I passed another fishing boat in the distance off the starboard about 00:30. I do not see any lights ahead, so set an alarm for 45m. 1:30 no lights. 2:40, lights off the starboard and port bow, but neither in the way. 3:15, lights off off starboard bow, but not in the way. 4:15 nothing ahead. It is 5:20. Sunrise will be at about 6:40. I just passed 13E, so am now further W than Australia and in a new timezone (UTC+7). I will start using that timezone with the next log entry. Light clouds this morning. I finally have the following seas I have been waiting on. I really have not had them since crossing the GBR. I enjoyed breakfast in the cockpit, including the last slice of mincemeat bread I purchased in Darwin the day before I left. It was round, baked in a can, and it’s held up pretty well during the past almost three weeks. There was a fairly large rain storm just N, but it looked clear windward. Funny … I dodged squalls in the South Pacific, but I’d steer towards one now if it meant a good soaking. I threw a flying fish overboard and a seabird promptly picked it up. I declare my back healed. For the first time since it was bruised on Monday, I don’t feel any pain or stiffness. I believe all the gymnastics of the past week helped the healing process by stretching the muscles and improving circulation. I averaged almost 7 kt overnight. The winds will be lighter later today, but I am still averaging 6.5 at 7:30, helped in part by the following seas. The latest PW has me drifting S, the jibing repeatedly to return to the rhumb line, but for now I am able to maintain the course towards the waypoint. It is 11:00 and after several days of roughy seas, the sailing is very pleasant. All of the clouds have burned off and the sea has settled down. The water is the deep blue color of deep water in bright sunlight. I have spent the whole morning in the cockpit and I just put in a fishing line. The winds are lighter, 14-18, but the boat is moving well, averaging 6.3 kt, because there is less rolling and the wind is getting dumped from the sails less often. The distance sailed towards Christmas Island in the last 24h was 515-363=152 nm. The total distance sailed was 10691-10525=166 nm (166/24=6.9 kt avg.). This is my best day in a long time. The change in wind direction means I have begun loosing distance S, so the actual distance I will need to sail will be more than 323.