Current Position: 27 19.677’S 10 40.359’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 4.5 kt; COG: 303; TWS: 14; TWD: 170; Current Speed (includes effect of surfing): 1.0 kt; Current Direction: 292; Distance to Waypoint (St. Helena, 317): 985 nm; Distance to Endpoint (Bridgetown): 4633 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 17462 nm; Engine Hours: 409; Estimate Fuel: 60+12+50;
Comments: I downloaded the most recent GRIB at 18:00. There was a significant development …the high is going to be stronger, more expensive, and come earlier than previously predicted. Single digit wind will show up Sunday morning and last until Tuesday morning. I believe I will launch the asymm on the port side and try to make some distance N. Sunset was at 20:03 (12.25E) last night. It should be at 20:10 (10.5E) tonight. The sunset was indeed at 20:10. The commercial traffic was relatively light (one just passed and a second, Rambo, 2h behind me), so I set an alarm interval of 1h beginning 20:40. The wind is going to back 30 degrees overnight, sending me further N, which is exactly what I want to do as long as the wind continues to blow strong. The seas were confused overnight. The wind was backing but still blowing strong, causing the swell and waves to be misaligned. Constructive interference produced periodic big, tall, almost breaking waves that caused the boat to corkscrew. I woke Christmas morning at 6:00 and the boat was headed WSW because the wind had backed to 30 degrees. I adjusted the windvane to a deep broad reach, slowing the SOG, but pointing her W. It was too cloudy to see the sunrise, which should be about 6:35 at 9.5E. It is almost 7:00 and still fairly dark. I made tea but am going to wait an hour for the cockpit to dry out before drinking it. I also need to make a decision whether to tack N, but will wait to see if the wind picks up and veers like it usually does in the morning. The SOG was about 5.2 overnight and it is about 5 now. I am now about the same latitude as the southern tip of Madagascar, albeit on the W side of Africa. I tried to drink my tea outside at 7:30, but without the sun it was chilly, even with my jacket and wool cap on. I can see the sun trying to break through, so will try again later. It is 9:00, still cloudy, the sea has settled down and the SOG is 4.7 in 14 kt wind that has backed a bit to 165. I had my tea and yogurt outside while I ran the engine for 15m, something I am trying to do every 3d or so, preferably when it is cloudy to take advantage of the charge. At 11:20 the seas had settled down enough that I shook out the second reef in the main. This gave me 0.5 kt and I was making almost 4.7 in 13 kt of wind in a broad reach. By midafternoon the clouds were gone. The distance sailed towards St. Helena in the last 24h was 1101-985=116 nm. The total distance sailed was 17456-17294=162 (162/24=6.8 kt avg).
Comments: I downloaded the most recent GRIB at 18:00. There was a significant development …the high is going to be stronger, more expensive, and come earlier than previously predicted. Single digit wind will show up Sunday morning and last until Tuesday morning. I believe I will launch the asymm on the port side and try to make some distance N. Sunset was at 20:03 (12.25E) last night. It should be at 20:10 (10.5E) tonight. The sunset was indeed at 20:10. The commercial traffic was relatively light (one just passed and a second, Rambo, 2h behind me), so I set an alarm interval of 1h beginning 20:40. The wind is going to back 30 degrees overnight, sending me further N, which is exactly what I want to do as long as the wind continues to blow strong. The seas were confused overnight. The wind was backing but still blowing strong, causing the swell and waves to be misaligned. Constructive interference produced periodic big, tall, almost breaking waves that caused the boat to corkscrew. I woke Christmas morning at 6:00 and the boat was headed WSW because the wind had backed to 30 degrees. I adjusted the windvane to a deep broad reach, slowing the SOG, but pointing her W. It was too cloudy to see the sunrise, which should be about 6:35 at 9.5E. It is almost 7:00 and still fairly dark. I made tea but am going to wait an hour for the cockpit to dry out before drinking it. I also need to make a decision whether to tack N, but will wait to see if the wind picks up and veers like it usually does in the morning. The SOG was about 5.2 overnight and it is about 5 now. I am now about the same latitude as the southern tip of Madagascar, albeit on the W side of Africa. I tried to drink my tea outside at 7:30, but without the sun it was chilly, even with my jacket and wool cap on. I can see the sun trying to break through, so will try again later. It is 9:00, still cloudy, the sea has settled down and the SOG is 4.7 in 14 kt wind that has backed a bit to 165. I had my tea and yogurt outside while I ran the engine for 15m, something I am trying to do every 3d or so, preferably when it is cloudy to take advantage of the charge. At 11:20 the seas had settled down enough that I shook out the second reef in the main. This gave me 0.5 kt and I was making almost 4.7 in 13 kt of wind in a broad reach. By midafternoon the clouds were gone. The distance sailed towards St. Helena in the last 24h was 1101-985=116 nm. The total distance sailed was 17456-17294=162 (162/24=6.8 kt avg).