Current Position: 13 42.079’S 92 01.068’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 5.7 kt; COG: 240; TWS: 21 kt; TWD: 100; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 257): 1677 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 11901 nm; Engine Hours: 254; Estimate Fuel: 56+13+50;
Comments: At 16:45 the wind and current had shifted, reducing the boat speed to 5 kt. I changed the course from 250 to 240 and increased the speed to 6 kt. Sunset should be 12m later than the Cocos, 18:10. The GRIB was 18h old, so downloaded fresh data at 18:00. No big surprises, but I note the forecast has been bouncing all over the place with respect to speed and direction and it has not correlated well with observations. Basically, the wind is usually 16/22 punctuated by periods of 14/18 and direction that varies from 115 to 130. There are some clouds at dusk and a few sprinkles, but nothing that looks threatening. We are at the edge of zones that have weather warnings for gales and thunderstorms, but are not actually in any of those zones. I am leaving the Yankee fully deployed and a double reef in the main. I will keep a watch though because higher winds are forecasted near dawn with gusts approaching 30. At 22:15 I heard White Malkin hail a ship on 16, warning it that it was headed for a group of sailboats. At 22:20 it showed up on the AIS 29 nm will away going 11 kt. This was the first of three cargo ships I would have to worry about tonight. I set an alarm for 60m and went back to sleep. I woke at 23:25 and Sunny Kindia was 12 nm off my starboard bow and on a course opposite to mine. As expected, the wind had dropped to 14 and backed to 108. I was running directly against a 1 kt current making about 4 kt. We passed each other starboard to starboard a little after midnight, and I set my alarm and went back to sleep. At 1:40 the second cargo ship appeared 25 nm off my port bow. It will pass S of me by 14 nm. The third showed up at 2:40 28 nm away. It looks like it will pass S of me too. A fourth ship unexpectedly appeared from the opposite direction. It is 36 nm away and expected to pass N. At 3:20 I was awaken because the boat had sped up. It was gusting to 20 as expected and raining lightly, but only going 5 kt because I am still fighting a 1 kt current. It began raining hard at 3:35 and the boat turned S. Although I knew the wind shifted was temporary, I adjusted the windvane because of the third boat passing S of me. It is 5:20, about an hour before sunrise. The wind is 18-20 from 110, as predicted, and I am on a broad reach. The current has started to rotate counterclockwise and while still fighting it, it is helping me push further N now. I have averaged 4.7 kt since the check-in 15h ago. The fourth ship is still 22 nm away, but will clear well N of me in a couple of hours. It is 6:30, half an hour after sunrise, and it is still quite dark with thick rainclouds. The weather is not threatening this morning, but I anticipate more showers. The sea is much calmer than what it has been the past couple days. I am making 5.5 in 18-20 from 105 in a broad reach towards 245 (waypoint is 257). The wind is supposed to back to close to 90 later this morning, and if it does I will tack to gain some latitude. It is supposed to be 90 most of tomorrow afternoon as well. It is 7:00 and the current is with me again, so I am making 6.0. I have studied the long-range AIS and I do not see any commercial vessels that will come near me in the next 24h. A large wave breached the port quarter and pooped the cockpit at 9:50. A good deal of water came in the cabin. I put a couple slates in the companionway so it does not happen again. Because the seas were relatively calm and I was sailing in a broad reach, I took advantage to prepare a shark-stock soup with noodles. I need to use the fresh sharp up before it spoils, so will try to eat it for lunch each day I can. It was dark most of the day. Although I have not been rained upon since last night, there has been precipitation around me most of the day. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1801-1677=124 nm. The total distance sailed was 11901-11772=129 nm (129/24=5.38 kt avg.).
Comments: At 16:45 the wind and current had shifted, reducing the boat speed to 5 kt. I changed the course from 250 to 240 and increased the speed to 6 kt. Sunset should be 12m later than the Cocos, 18:10. The GRIB was 18h old, so downloaded fresh data at 18:00. No big surprises, but I note the forecast has been bouncing all over the place with respect to speed and direction and it has not correlated well with observations. Basically, the wind is usually 16/22 punctuated by periods of 14/18 and direction that varies from 115 to 130. There are some clouds at dusk and a few sprinkles, but nothing that looks threatening. We are at the edge of zones that have weather warnings for gales and thunderstorms, but are not actually in any of those zones. I am leaving the Yankee fully deployed and a double reef in the main. I will keep a watch though because higher winds are forecasted near dawn with gusts approaching 30. At 22:15 I heard White Malkin hail a ship on 16, warning it that it was headed for a group of sailboats. At 22:20 it showed up on the AIS 29 nm will away going 11 kt. This was the first of three cargo ships I would have to worry about tonight. I set an alarm for 60m and went back to sleep. I woke at 23:25 and Sunny Kindia was 12 nm off my starboard bow and on a course opposite to mine. As expected, the wind had dropped to 14 and backed to 108. I was running directly against a 1 kt current making about 4 kt. We passed each other starboard to starboard a little after midnight, and I set my alarm and went back to sleep. At 1:40 the second cargo ship appeared 25 nm off my port bow. It will pass S of me by 14 nm. The third showed up at 2:40 28 nm away. It looks like it will pass S of me too. A fourth ship unexpectedly appeared from the opposite direction. It is 36 nm away and expected to pass N. At 3:20 I was awaken because the boat had sped up. It was gusting to 20 as expected and raining lightly, but only going 5 kt because I am still fighting a 1 kt current. It began raining hard at 3:35 and the boat turned S. Although I knew the wind shifted was temporary, I adjusted the windvane because of the third boat passing S of me. It is 5:20, about an hour before sunrise. The wind is 18-20 from 110, as predicted, and I am on a broad reach. The current has started to rotate counterclockwise and while still fighting it, it is helping me push further N now. I have averaged 4.7 kt since the check-in 15h ago. The fourth ship is still 22 nm away, but will clear well N of me in a couple of hours. It is 6:30, half an hour after sunrise, and it is still quite dark with thick rainclouds. The weather is not threatening this morning, but I anticipate more showers. The sea is much calmer than what it has been the past couple days. I am making 5.5 in 18-20 from 105 in a broad reach towards 245 (waypoint is 257). The wind is supposed to back to close to 90 later this morning, and if it does I will tack to gain some latitude. It is supposed to be 90 most of tomorrow afternoon as well. It is 7:00 and the current is with me again, so I am making 6.0. I have studied the long-range AIS and I do not see any commercial vessels that will come near me in the next 24h. A large wave breached the port quarter and pooped the cockpit at 9:50. A good deal of water came in the cabin. I put a couple slates in the companionway so it does not happen again. Because the seas were relatively calm and I was sailing in a broad reach, I took advantage to prepare a shark-stock soup with noodles. I need to use the fresh sharp up before it spoils, so will try to eat it for lunch each day I can. It was dark most of the day. Although I have not been rained upon since last night, there has been precipitation around me most of the day. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1801-1677=124 nm. The total distance sailed was 11901-11772=129 nm (129/24=5.38 kt avg.).