Current Position: 18 39.255’S 67 31.667’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 4.2 kt; COG: 317; TWS: 13 kt; TWD: 95; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 270): 238 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 13431 nm; Engine Hours: 261; Estimate Fuel: 56+9+50;
Comments: Note: this is the last entry where I will use UTC+6.5. Beginning tomorrow, I will be in the UTC+4 time zone. I downloaded a new GRIB at 14:39. There has been a significant change … the area of single-digit winds and the period I am likely be becalmed is now much longer, Monday and part of Tuesday. If the forecast is correct, it seems unlikely I will reach Rodrigues before Wednesday morning. Sunset is at 17:58 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (68.5e) it should be about 114m later, 19:52. Sunset was at 19:53. A bit after dusk the wind backed to 95 with the wind blowing 20. When I went to the cockpit at 1:00, it was doing the same and the trace suggested it had the entire time with a course of 220. At 3:00 the wind was blowing 16 from 83. At 5:30 I was 19s and the waypoint was 260 nm away at 276. I tacked to the starboard on a new heading of 310. In 14 kt of wind at 95, I made a little over 4 kt partially against a current. The ride was much more comfortable as the swell was to the stern. I downloaded a new GRIB. There were no surprises. I don’t see any commercial traffic that I need to worry about today. Sunrise is at 5:43 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (68e) it should be about 116m later, 7:56. The sun rose behind a very nasty-looking cloud bank that was clearly producing heavy rain. I put the pink squid out again. I have not seen any fish on the deck. Flying fish, or birds in two days, nor have I gotten any bites on the line. Perhaps these are not fertile waters. It is 8:00 and the dead air has developed over Rodrigues and it moving NE and expanding. It looks like I may have wind until the early morning hours tomorrow. The wind is currently at 100 but is supposed to back to 70 (I’ve heard that before). I will play it by ear, but expect to continue in a starboard tack for at least 12 and maybe 24h. By 9:00 the wind was blowing from 130!!!! The heading to the waypoint is 274 and I am at 18 53’s. It looks to me I will have wind longer the further N I go. The wind is supposed to veer significantly beginning early Tuesday morning … if you can believe the forecast, which I do not. I am going to continue to drive N, if for no other reason than it will give me a better angle when the wind dies down. By 10:39 it was blowing from 98. Basically, the wind direction is all over the place. The wind speed has fallen to 13, driving the boat 3 kt SOG against at current that is nearly 1 kt. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 327-238=89 nm. The total distance sailed was 13431-13324=107 nm (107/24=4.46 kt avg.).
Comments: Note: this is the last entry where I will use UTC+6.5. Beginning tomorrow, I will be in the UTC+4 time zone. I downloaded a new GRIB at 14:39. There has been a significant change … the area of single-digit winds and the period I am likely be becalmed is now much longer, Monday and part of Tuesday. If the forecast is correct, it seems unlikely I will reach Rodrigues before Wednesday morning. Sunset is at 17:58 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (68.5e) it should be about 114m later, 19:52. Sunset was at 19:53. A bit after dusk the wind backed to 95 with the wind blowing 20. When I went to the cockpit at 1:00, it was doing the same and the trace suggested it had the entire time with a course of 220. At 3:00 the wind was blowing 16 from 83. At 5:30 I was 19s and the waypoint was 260 nm away at 276. I tacked to the starboard on a new heading of 310. In 14 kt of wind at 95, I made a little over 4 kt partially against a current. The ride was much more comfortable as the swell was to the stern. I downloaded a new GRIB. There were no surprises. I don’t see any commercial traffic that I need to worry about today. Sunrise is at 5:43 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (68e) it should be about 116m later, 7:56. The sun rose behind a very nasty-looking cloud bank that was clearly producing heavy rain. I put the pink squid out again. I have not seen any fish on the deck. Flying fish, or birds in two days, nor have I gotten any bites on the line. Perhaps these are not fertile waters. It is 8:00 and the dead air has developed over Rodrigues and it moving NE and expanding. It looks like I may have wind until the early morning hours tomorrow. The wind is currently at 100 but is supposed to back to 70 (I’ve heard that before). I will play it by ear, but expect to continue in a starboard tack for at least 12 and maybe 24h. By 9:00 the wind was blowing from 130!!!! The heading to the waypoint is 274 and I am at 18 53’s. It looks to me I will have wind longer the further N I go. The wind is supposed to veer significantly beginning early Tuesday morning … if you can believe the forecast, which I do not. I am going to continue to drive N, if for no other reason than it will give me a better angle when the wind dies down. By 10:39 it was blowing from 98. Basically, the wind direction is all over the place. The wind speed has fallen to 13, driving the boat 3 kt SOG against at current that is nearly 1 kt. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 327-238=89 nm. The total distance sailed was 13431-13324=107 nm (107/24=4.46 kt avg.).