Current Position: 22 38.565’S 4 23.847’E; Timezone: UTC+0; SOG: 3.8 kt; COG: 020; TWS: 9; TWD: 164; Current Speed (includes effect of surfing): 0.8 kt; Current Direction: 320; Distance to Waypoint (St. Helena, 317): 693 nm; Distance to Endpoint (Bridgetown): 4345 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 17866 nm; Engine Hours: 410; Estimate Fuel: 60+11+50;
Comments: Sunset should be at 18:28 at 5.0E. The sunset was actually at 18:28 and it was glorious, mirrored on the water, which was as still as a lake. I downloaded the latest GRIB. I will have very little wind tonight, but may have enough in the morning to launch the kite. I went to sleep at 19:00. I have been maintaining a straight course with SOG 1.1 kt in about 3 kt wind for several hours. I am still more than 100 nm from the shipping channels. I see only one ship on the OTH AIS that could come close, and it is perhaps 50 nm away, so I set an alarm for 2h to see if it came within range of the AIS. I should see 7-8 kt wind tomorrow from 107-116 during the day with 10-11 kt gusts. Starting midnight tomorrow and for 48h I should see double digit winds I may be b calmed again on New Year’s Day, but for a much shorter period of time. My guess is I will reach BARB2 about the 4th. As I travel W/NW, I should have double digit winds to Brazil. It should take about a week from BARB2 to Ascension and another week and a half to the coast. The ship passed 20 nm N an 21:30. At 2:00 there was 8-9 kt wind from 120 and the SOG was 2.5. I can expect this wind and gust to 10 until dusk tonight, when I should pick up a few kt. I have only made 7 nm in the last 8h, but at least it was in a straight line. At dawn, I will raise the asymm and expect to make 4 kt or so. I woke at 4:45 and it was blowing 6-8 from 135-150. Sunrise was at 4:58 (4.75E). It was the first one I have been able to see in more than a week. I downloaded the latest GRIB. The wind is basically from the SE, which means basically I can sail due N or W. Which depends on two factors. Winds less than 135 favor N and greater than 135 favor W. The winds the next week range from 110 to 155 with no clear pattern to take advantage of. The other factor is wind speed. It looks like there may be a high developing on Thursday the 1st to Friday the 2nd. To avoid being becalmed in the future, it will pay to make it up to 11-12S (BARB2) as planned. There is another intangible, that is the shipping channels. If I continue N I will have to cross them twice. I ran PW models both N and W and the latter are clearly favored both in terms of wind speed and direction. In fact, I may have too much wind for the asymm by next weekend if I head W. I am going to have my morning tea, wait for the “sunrise wind” to settle down. The wind direction will favor N for the next 36h. Since the asymm is already set up for a starboard tack, I will head N (and as much W as possible). That should putt me in the edge of the shipping channel. I’ll tack to port then and head W. This will put me 3 degrees further N from the low that is developing SW of me (avoiding the high winds that would require U take the asymm down) and S of the high and light winds that are developing NE of me. I would also avoid most of the commercial traffic. At 7:00 I deployed the asymm. I had the usual difficulty. I studied the problem and I believe it has some thing to do with the lower swivel not turning freely. The sail is furled from the top down, so it should be unfurled from the bottom up. Next time, I will try three things … 1) furling the sail when it is not under any load so it does not wind too tight, 2) unfurling it when it is not under much load so the swivel has time to keep up, and 3) lubricate the bearing with water before unfurling. I made a good choice (so far) in heading N. I am doing about 4.3 kt in 9 kt wind (the best I ever do is half the wind speed) on a course of 340 (almost towards St. Helena [700 nm] and Ascension [1400 nm] … because the wind is 120, less than 135) I am actually on a course parallel to the shipping channel. It feels really good to be moving again. I put the fishing line out in the hopes of hooking something that is not as monstrous. I ate the last banana with my yogurt this morning. It is interesting that everything revolves around the weather, food, and stuff that is broken. Life is actually pretty simple out here. It is 8:00 and sailing conditions are near perfect … 10 kt of wind and a smooth sea. I just switched over from the TillerPilot to the windvane. There is enough wind now to use it reliably. Also, I expect the wind to veer later and the wind vane with adjust the course automatically. Most importantly, no more gear grinding noise. I am at the latitude of BARB1 (23S), but 260 nm W. This means I am pretty much on the expected pace to St. Helena, despite being becalmed. It is 9:00 and I see on the OTH AIS that the sailboat Tequila is about 30 nm N of me, on a similar course, and doing 5 kt. My recollection is the boat was a couple of days ahead of me when I left Saldanha. It appears they are headed for St. Helena. Today is a Christmas/New Year meal. I am fixing the smoked salmon, green beans, new potatoes, and opening a bottle of white wine. I believe there will be enough for two meals. I prepared the meal at 14:00. It felt festive. There is enough food and wine for tomorrow. This clears out all the fresh vegetables except a few carrots (which I will eat raw) and some onions (which I intend to use to make soup at some point). Except for citrus and apples, the only fresh fruit left is two pears (which I will eat in the next two days) and a tub of blueberries (which will be gone by the weekend). I have the ham that I will fix at some point and I have some lunch meat. I have a loaf of bread that I have tried to keep frozen (we’ll see) and some naan. As expected, the wind has veered to 160, driving me due N. However, it is supposed to back this evening. I believe at the end of the day, I am going to be able to drive W enough to miss the shipping channels. And if not, I can always tack. It is 15:00 and it feels hot. I have moved 12 degrees N from Cape Town. Some double-digit gusts from 160 arrived at 16:00. The total distance sailed was 17866-17835=31 (31/24=1.3 kt avg).
Comments: Sunset should be at 18:28 at 5.0E. The sunset was actually at 18:28 and it was glorious, mirrored on the water, which was as still as a lake. I downloaded the latest GRIB. I will have very little wind tonight, but may have enough in the morning to launch the kite. I went to sleep at 19:00. I have been maintaining a straight course with SOG 1.1 kt in about 3 kt wind for several hours. I am still more than 100 nm from the shipping channels. I see only one ship on the OTH AIS that could come close, and it is perhaps 50 nm away, so I set an alarm for 2h to see if it came within range of the AIS. I should see 7-8 kt wind tomorrow from 107-116 during the day with 10-11 kt gusts. Starting midnight tomorrow and for 48h I should see double digit winds I may be b calmed again on New Year’s Day, but for a much shorter period of time. My guess is I will reach BARB2 about the 4th. As I travel W/NW, I should have double digit winds to Brazil. It should take about a week from BARB2 to Ascension and another week and a half to the coast. The ship passed 20 nm N an 21:30. At 2:00 there was 8-9 kt wind from 120 and the SOG was 2.5. I can expect this wind and gust to 10 until dusk tonight, when I should pick up a few kt. I have only made 7 nm in the last 8h, but at least it was in a straight line. At dawn, I will raise the asymm and expect to make 4 kt or so. I woke at 4:45 and it was blowing 6-8 from 135-150. Sunrise was at 4:58 (4.75E). It was the first one I have been able to see in more than a week. I downloaded the latest GRIB. The wind is basically from the SE, which means basically I can sail due N or W. Which depends on two factors. Winds less than 135 favor N and greater than 135 favor W. The winds the next week range from 110 to 155 with no clear pattern to take advantage of. The other factor is wind speed. It looks like there may be a high developing on Thursday the 1st to Friday the 2nd. To avoid being becalmed in the future, it will pay to make it up to 11-12S (BARB2) as planned. There is another intangible, that is the shipping channels. If I continue N I will have to cross them twice. I ran PW models both N and W and the latter are clearly favored both in terms of wind speed and direction. In fact, I may have too much wind for the asymm by next weekend if I head W. I am going to have my morning tea, wait for the “sunrise wind” to settle down. The wind direction will favor N for the next 36h. Since the asymm is already set up for a starboard tack, I will head N (and as much W as possible). That should putt me in the edge of the shipping channel. I’ll tack to port then and head W. This will put me 3 degrees further N from the low that is developing SW of me (avoiding the high winds that would require U take the asymm down) and S of the high and light winds that are developing NE of me. I would also avoid most of the commercial traffic. At 7:00 I deployed the asymm. I had the usual difficulty. I studied the problem and I believe it has some thing to do with the lower swivel not turning freely. The sail is furled from the top down, so it should be unfurled from the bottom up. Next time, I will try three things … 1) furling the sail when it is not under any load so it does not wind too tight, 2) unfurling it when it is not under much load so the swivel has time to keep up, and 3) lubricate the bearing with water before unfurling. I made a good choice (so far) in heading N. I am doing about 4.3 kt in 9 kt wind (the best I ever do is half the wind speed) on a course of 340 (almost towards St. Helena [700 nm] and Ascension [1400 nm] … because the wind is 120, less than 135) I am actually on a course parallel to the shipping channel. It feels really good to be moving again. I put the fishing line out in the hopes of hooking something that is not as monstrous. I ate the last banana with my yogurt this morning. It is interesting that everything revolves around the weather, food, and stuff that is broken. Life is actually pretty simple out here. It is 8:00 and sailing conditions are near perfect … 10 kt of wind and a smooth sea. I just switched over from the TillerPilot to the windvane. There is enough wind now to use it reliably. Also, I expect the wind to veer later and the wind vane with adjust the course automatically. Most importantly, no more gear grinding noise. I am at the latitude of BARB1 (23S), but 260 nm W. This means I am pretty much on the expected pace to St. Helena, despite being becalmed. It is 9:00 and I see on the OTH AIS that the sailboat Tequila is about 30 nm N of me, on a similar course, and doing 5 kt. My recollection is the boat was a couple of days ahead of me when I left Saldanha. It appears they are headed for St. Helena. Today is a Christmas/New Year meal. I am fixing the smoked salmon, green beans, new potatoes, and opening a bottle of white wine. I believe there will be enough for two meals. I prepared the meal at 14:00. It felt festive. There is enough food and wine for tomorrow. This clears out all the fresh vegetables except a few carrots (which I will eat raw) and some onions (which I intend to use to make soup at some point). Except for citrus and apples, the only fresh fruit left is two pears (which I will eat in the next two days) and a tub of blueberries (which will be gone by the weekend). I have the ham that I will fix at some point and I have some lunch meat. I have a loaf of bread that I have tried to keep frozen (we’ll see) and some naan. As expected, the wind has veered to 160, driving me due N. However, it is supposed to back this evening. I believe at the end of the day, I am going to be able to drive W enough to miss the shipping channels. And if not, I can always tack. It is 15:00 and it feels hot. I have moved 12 degrees N from Cape Town. Some double-digit gusts from 160 arrived at 16:00. The total distance sailed was 17866-17835=31 (31/24=1.3 kt avg).