Current Position: 20 20.164’S 0 20.538’W; Timezone: UTC+0; SOG: 4.7 kt; COG: 335; TWS: 13; TWD: 139; Current Speed (includes effect of surfing): 1.1 kt; Current Direction: 300; Distance to Waypoint (St. Helena, 323): 497 nm; Distance to Endpoint (Bridgetown): 4044 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 18352 nm; Engine Hours: 412; Estimate Fuel: 60+10+50;
Comments: it is 16:30 and the wind has been veering the past few hours. The heading is now close to the waypoint. Sunset should be at 18:40 at 1.5E. The actual sunset was behind a cloud bank. I see no vessels on the OTH AIS that threaten me tonight and the weather is benign, so I am setting the alarm interval for 3h. At 1:00 the wind had not changed much, still blowing 15 from 175. If the forecast remains accurate, it will start backing in the morning and I will tack to starboard until I reach the rhumb line this evening before tacking again. I woke up at 5:00. The last few hours I did not even set an alarm. I had slept 10h. The sun was coming up behind a cloud bank. It was blowing 16 from 155, having backed 20 degrees. I have averaged 4.8 kt in the last 20h and made 60 nm towards the waypoint in the last 13h. I found a flying fish in the cockpit and three more on the deck. My theory about the being in warmer water may be correct. At 6:00 the latest GRIB shows little change except it is looking more like I am going to reach St. Helena after dusk Monday. I am expecting some stronger wind starting after midnight for 24h. I hope so make better time the PW expects then. Also, the route now has me tacking early afternoon. The waypoint is 321, so the break even wind direction is 321-180=141. At 7:00 S/V Tequila showed up on the OTH AIS about 80 nm ahead of me. Moana and Oda are at the same longitude, but 140 nm N. Looks like all three will arrive at St. Helena a day ahead of me. Good thing I won’t be looking for a place to anchor. I wonder if flying fish only fly to escape predators and if so maybe seeing more of them fly is an indication of predatory fish. In other words, not seeing them may simply mean they are not flying because there are no predators present. I crossed over to the Western Hemisphere at 10:38. At noon I felt the boat shift relative to the swells. The wind had backed quite suddenly to 145, close to the break even point. About 12:45 a wave came over the port side into the cockpit, signaling another shift in the wind to 136 and I tacked to starboard. The waves were then following and I picked up some speed. The distance sailed towards St. Helena in the last 24h was 498-397=101 nm. The total distance sailed was 18352-18188=164 nm (164/24=6.8 kt avg).
Comments: it is 16:30 and the wind has been veering the past few hours. The heading is now close to the waypoint. Sunset should be at 18:40 at 1.5E. The actual sunset was behind a cloud bank. I see no vessels on the OTH AIS that threaten me tonight and the weather is benign, so I am setting the alarm interval for 3h. At 1:00 the wind had not changed much, still blowing 15 from 175. If the forecast remains accurate, it will start backing in the morning and I will tack to starboard until I reach the rhumb line this evening before tacking again. I woke up at 5:00. The last few hours I did not even set an alarm. I had slept 10h. The sun was coming up behind a cloud bank. It was blowing 16 from 155, having backed 20 degrees. I have averaged 4.8 kt in the last 20h and made 60 nm towards the waypoint in the last 13h. I found a flying fish in the cockpit and three more on the deck. My theory about the being in warmer water may be correct. At 6:00 the latest GRIB shows little change except it is looking more like I am going to reach St. Helena after dusk Monday. I am expecting some stronger wind starting after midnight for 24h. I hope so make better time the PW expects then. Also, the route now has me tacking early afternoon. The waypoint is 321, so the break even wind direction is 321-180=141. At 7:00 S/V Tequila showed up on the OTH AIS about 80 nm ahead of me. Moana and Oda are at the same longitude, but 140 nm N. Looks like all three will arrive at St. Helena a day ahead of me. Good thing I won’t be looking for a place to anchor. I wonder if flying fish only fly to escape predators and if so maybe seeing more of them fly is an indication of predatory fish. In other words, not seeing them may simply mean they are not flying because there are no predators present. I crossed over to the Western Hemisphere at 10:38. At noon I felt the boat shift relative to the swells. The wind had backed quite suddenly to 145, close to the break even point. About 12:45 a wave came over the port side into the cockpit, signaling another shift in the wind to 136 and I tacked to starboard. The waves were then following and I picked up some speed. The distance sailed towards St. Helena in the last 24h was 498-397=101 nm. The total distance sailed was 18352-18188=164 nm (164/24=6.8 kt avg).