Current Position: 18 07.882’S 2 44.780’W; Timezone: UTC+0; SOG: 4.2 kt; COG: 330; TWS: 14; TWD: 127; Current Speed (includes effect of surfing): 1.2 kt; Current Direction: 310; Distance to Waypoint (St. Helena, 319): 301 nm; Distance to Endpoint (Bridgetown): 3862 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 18630 nm; Engine Hours: 412; Estimate Fuel: 60+10+50;
Comments: Sunset should be at 18:42 at 1.66”W. The sunset was actually at 18:47. The wind was supposed to back but it veered towards sunset. After sunset it backed. It is 20:00 and there is a cargo ship less than 2h away. I saw it earlier today on the OTH AIS and I now see it on the AIS 46 nm off my port bow and doing 20 kt. I am setting an alarm for 1h. At 21:00 the Mariagrazia was 45 nm away and on a collision course. When 10 nm away, I radioed the vessel. They confirmed they had me on AIS and would adjust their course to more safely pass my stern. They subsequently radioed back and asked if I was a sailing or fishing vessel. I told them sailing and they said I came up fishing. I checked my AIS settings and am broadcasting as a sailing vessel. The vessel passed 0.5 nm (2 1/2 boat lengths for the 1200’ vessel) to my stern at 21:50. With no other vessels a threat on the OTH AIS, I set an alarm for 2h. It is 4:00. Sunrise is expected at 5:55 at St. Helena (5.75W) so it should be 5:41 at my location (2.2W). The wind is starting to veer. I tacked to the port at 4:15. I will probably be tacking back in 2-3h when the wind backs after sunrise. I should see a “sunrise gust” for a couple of hours. I am about 250 nm from St. Helena, still on track to arrive late afternoon on Monday. Moana and Oda are about 100 nm to the NW, about a day ahead of me. They have slowed down considerably, being caught in a lighter trough of wind. I expect light winds all day, picking up again tonight and staying strong through Monday. Sunrise was at 5:38, off by 3m. There are fewer clouds this morning. No flying fish on the deck or in the water this morning, but I put a line out anyway. I have room in the fridge for a nice tuna. The best chance is probably as U am passing the island. It is almost 7:00 and I just finished my oatmeal. It just occurred to me that I left Saldanha two weeks ago and I am almost one-third of the way to Barbados. It is about one-third to St. Helena, one-third to the Brazilian coast, and one-third along the coast to Barbados. It looks like a high pressure trough is developing to the N this week that may force me to keep S.m until Friday. That is unfortunate because the wind direction favors a starboard tack, so I may be driven somewhat S. After Friday, however, it looks like I may have a clear path for a starboard tack to the coast. It is still a few days before I need to make a decision regarding the route, so the prediction may yet change. A 9:00 I was preparing to tack and I caught the perfect Dorado, just the right size for two meals. It is the first fish I have caught since the Cocos (when I hooked a bird). The main reason I have not been catching fish is for the last several months I have been making relatively short passages and have had fresh food. I have a lemon to use up and some carrots. It’ll make two nice meals. I had the fish filleted and the boat tacked starboard by 9:15. I took a 1h nap and when I woke up at noon the sky was heavily overcast. The wind direction is favorable, albeit light, and I am sailing directly for the waypoint. As I am eating half of the Dorado, I am watched dozens of flying fish. It is the first time I have seen more than one at a time during this passage. The distance sailed towards St. Helena in the last 24h was 301-208=93 nm. The total distance sailed was 18630-18490=140 nm (140/24=5.8 kt avg).
Comments: Sunset should be at 18:42 at 1.66”W. The sunset was actually at 18:47. The wind was supposed to back but it veered towards sunset. After sunset it backed. It is 20:00 and there is a cargo ship less than 2h away. I saw it earlier today on the OTH AIS and I now see it on the AIS 46 nm off my port bow and doing 20 kt. I am setting an alarm for 1h. At 21:00 the Mariagrazia was 45 nm away and on a collision course. When 10 nm away, I radioed the vessel. They confirmed they had me on AIS and would adjust their course to more safely pass my stern. They subsequently radioed back and asked if I was a sailing or fishing vessel. I told them sailing and they said I came up fishing. I checked my AIS settings and am broadcasting as a sailing vessel. The vessel passed 0.5 nm (2 1/2 boat lengths for the 1200’ vessel) to my stern at 21:50. With no other vessels a threat on the OTH AIS, I set an alarm for 2h. It is 4:00. Sunrise is expected at 5:55 at St. Helena (5.75W) so it should be 5:41 at my location (2.2W). The wind is starting to veer. I tacked to the port at 4:15. I will probably be tacking back in 2-3h when the wind backs after sunrise. I should see a “sunrise gust” for a couple of hours. I am about 250 nm from St. Helena, still on track to arrive late afternoon on Monday. Moana and Oda are about 100 nm to the NW, about a day ahead of me. They have slowed down considerably, being caught in a lighter trough of wind. I expect light winds all day, picking up again tonight and staying strong through Monday. Sunrise was at 5:38, off by 3m. There are fewer clouds this morning. No flying fish on the deck or in the water this morning, but I put a line out anyway. I have room in the fridge for a nice tuna. The best chance is probably as U am passing the island. It is almost 7:00 and I just finished my oatmeal. It just occurred to me that I left Saldanha two weeks ago and I am almost one-third of the way to Barbados. It is about one-third to St. Helena, one-third to the Brazilian coast, and one-third along the coast to Barbados. It looks like a high pressure trough is developing to the N this week that may force me to keep S.m until Friday. That is unfortunate because the wind direction favors a starboard tack, so I may be driven somewhat S. After Friday, however, it looks like I may have a clear path for a starboard tack to the coast. It is still a few days before I need to make a decision regarding the route, so the prediction may yet change. A 9:00 I was preparing to tack and I caught the perfect Dorado, just the right size for two meals. It is the first fish I have caught since the Cocos (when I hooked a bird). The main reason I have not been catching fish is for the last several months I have been making relatively short passages and have had fresh food. I have a lemon to use up and some carrots. It’ll make two nice meals. I had the fish filleted and the boat tacked starboard by 9:15. I took a 1h nap and when I woke up at noon the sky was heavily overcast. The wind direction is favorable, albeit light, and I am sailing directly for the waypoint. As I am eating half of the Dorado, I am watched dozens of flying fish. It is the first time I have seen more than one at a time during this passage. The distance sailed towards St. Helena in the last 24h was 301-208=93 nm. The total distance sailed was 18630-18490=140 nm (140/24=5.8 kt avg).