Current Position: 11 07.263’S 139 34.979’E; Local Timezone: UTC+20 SOG: 3.8 kt COG: 235; TWS: 15 kt; TWD: 84; Distance to Waypoint (Darwin, 257): 519; Total Miles Sailed: 8990 nm; Engine Hours: 201; Estimate Fuel: 60+11+50;
Comments: The ocean Titan passed me about 16:45. Sunset was at 18:28. I went to sleep at 19:15 and woke up 2h later to an alarm. A ship would pass 6 nm N of me in 25m. The 36’ sailboat Ambler was 18 nm behind me. I’d seen it on AIS before. My course had been curving N and the boat speed increasing, no doubt due to changing currents. I went back to sleep. It is 1:00 and the only boat on AIS is Ambler, 17 nm behind me. The depth has steadily increased from 50’ yesterday to 150’, which I think has contributed to less chap and a smoother ride. Looks like I can expect 150-200’ for most of the rest of the passage. When it was 50’, the water was all turquoise, and the shadows of clouds looked like reefs, making for some confusing navigation. Now that it is deeper, the water is darker, not quite blue like the Pacific, but more of a dark green, and the clouds do not cast noticeable shadows. It is 2:45 and the ship Emmanouil is going to pass very close to me in about 30 m. It was going to come within 100 yards of me, but changed course and will be 1 nm in 10m at 3:05. At 6:00, sunrise is in about an hour. I slept well last night. I am running with a 1 kt current right now in 18 kt wind and making about 6 kt. I’ve averaged about 5.5 kt on since leaving TI, which is better than I expected. It is 6:15 and starting to get light. There are more clouds today … some rain clouds. Ambler is still 16 nm to the NE of me. We have been going exactly the same speed. A proper swell is developing, presumable because the fetch is now sufficient from the shoals of the Torres Strait. I put out a fishing line yesterday and forgot to bring it in last night. Fortunately, there was nothing on the line. I suspect the squid lure I am using isn’t appropriate for these shallow waters. The way the line was trailing the boat suggested a problem and indeed the lure was missing … bitten off. I didn’t put the line out again, figuring I actually have 4-5 days of food prepared. I will fish again when I am closer to Darwin. There is a downpour off my starboard quarter, but it looks like it is clearing upwind. I ran the engine for 30m at 8:30, mainly so I could run the watermaker and clean it out. The boat is doing over 7 kt SOG, helped by a 1.4 kt current. It’s 10:20 and I am running against the tide again. I am going to need to make a decision before tomorrow night, either go through the Cumberland Strait or go around Cape Wessel. The problem with the strait is currents up to 17 kt are possible, while the cape takes me out of the way. PW has me going through the Strait. Right now, it looks like I’d go through the strait in the early morning hours of Monday, in the dark. That does not seem very appealing. On the other hand, going around the cape might prevent shadowing by the land masses and a better wind angle on the other side. The Chemtex Hunter showed up on AIS at 11:00, 26 nm off my starboard bow and headed straight for me. It is supposed to pass in about 90m I spotted it 7 nm away at 22:10. It is clear it will pass several nm behind me. However, the China Energy is behind it 3h. China Energy passed my bow by several nm at 2:15. I don’t see any more commercial traffic near me for the next 12h. The distance sailed towards Darwin in the last 24h was 640-519=121 nm, which is better than I expected. The total distance sailed was 8990-8864=126 nm (126/24=5.3 kt avg.). I am bucking a 1.1 kt current, hence the SOG of less than 4 kt.
Comments: The ocean Titan passed me about 16:45. Sunset was at 18:28. I went to sleep at 19:15 and woke up 2h later to an alarm. A ship would pass 6 nm N of me in 25m. The 36’ sailboat Ambler was 18 nm behind me. I’d seen it on AIS before. My course had been curving N and the boat speed increasing, no doubt due to changing currents. I went back to sleep. It is 1:00 and the only boat on AIS is Ambler, 17 nm behind me. The depth has steadily increased from 50’ yesterday to 150’, which I think has contributed to less chap and a smoother ride. Looks like I can expect 150-200’ for most of the rest of the passage. When it was 50’, the water was all turquoise, and the shadows of clouds looked like reefs, making for some confusing navigation. Now that it is deeper, the water is darker, not quite blue like the Pacific, but more of a dark green, and the clouds do not cast noticeable shadows. It is 2:45 and the ship Emmanouil is going to pass very close to me in about 30 m. It was going to come within 100 yards of me, but changed course and will be 1 nm in 10m at 3:05. At 6:00, sunrise is in about an hour. I slept well last night. I am running with a 1 kt current right now in 18 kt wind and making about 6 kt. I’ve averaged about 5.5 kt on since leaving TI, which is better than I expected. It is 6:15 and starting to get light. There are more clouds today … some rain clouds. Ambler is still 16 nm to the NE of me. We have been going exactly the same speed. A proper swell is developing, presumable because the fetch is now sufficient from the shoals of the Torres Strait. I put out a fishing line yesterday and forgot to bring it in last night. Fortunately, there was nothing on the line. I suspect the squid lure I am using isn’t appropriate for these shallow waters. The way the line was trailing the boat suggested a problem and indeed the lure was missing … bitten off. I didn’t put the line out again, figuring I actually have 4-5 days of food prepared. I will fish again when I am closer to Darwin. There is a downpour off my starboard quarter, but it looks like it is clearing upwind. I ran the engine for 30m at 8:30, mainly so I could run the watermaker and clean it out. The boat is doing over 7 kt SOG, helped by a 1.4 kt current. It’s 10:20 and I am running against the tide again. I am going to need to make a decision before tomorrow night, either go through the Cumberland Strait or go around Cape Wessel. The problem with the strait is currents up to 17 kt are possible, while the cape takes me out of the way. PW has me going through the Strait. Right now, it looks like I’d go through the strait in the early morning hours of Monday, in the dark. That does not seem very appealing. On the other hand, going around the cape might prevent shadowing by the land masses and a better wind angle on the other side. The Chemtex Hunter showed up on AIS at 11:00, 26 nm off my starboard bow and headed straight for me. It is supposed to pass in about 90m I spotted it 7 nm away at 22:10. It is clear it will pass several nm behind me. However, the China Energy is behind it 3h. China Energy passed my bow by several nm at 2:15. I don’t see any more commercial traffic near me for the next 12h. The distance sailed towards Darwin in the last 24h was 640-519=121 nm, which is better than I expected. The total distance sailed was 8990-8864=126 nm (126/24=5.3 kt avg.). I am bucking a 1.1 kt current, hence the SOG of less than 4 kt.