Current Position: 12 20.477’S 18 47.550’W; Timezone: UTC+0; SOG: 4.0 kt; COG: 330; TWS: 12; TWD: 135; Current Speed (includes effect of surfing): 1.7 kt; Current Direction: 320; Distance to Waypoint (IFN, 300): 948 nm; Distance to Endpoint (Bridgetown): 2874 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 20,115 nm; Engine Hours: 414; Estimate Fuel: 60+8+50;
Comments: Sunset is at 19:00 at 5.75W. At 17.33W it should be at 19:46. By 18:00, the clear sky were replaced by dark clouds, the wind picked up, and it backed to less than 100. It started to rain at 18:30. This was probably the front that will bring lighter winds tomorrow. I was supposed to tack about 19:00, but clearly I would not be doing that under these conditions as I was being blow almost towards the waypoint on a starboard tack. Sunset was not going to be for an hour, but it was dark and I was tired, so I started to get ready to sleep. When the front passes, I suspect the wind will veer, which may signal the time to tack. As expected, by 20:00 the wind had veered to 120, so I tacked to port (just before it got too dark to see). I was able to make about 260 in a deep broad reach. Hopefully, the wind will veer a bit more. No threats on the OTH AIS, so I set a timer for 2h. The wind did continue to veer and by midnight it was 140 giving a COG of 280. At 1:00 I was waken up because a 20 kt gust had caused the boat to round up. I adjusted the windvane. I got up at 6:20. I have traveled mostly due W at a SOG of 4.0-5.0 all night. Sunrise is at 6:02 at 5.75W. At 18.25W it should be at 6:51. The sun came up behind a cloud bank, but it looks like the clouds are clearing upwind. The wind is still blowing 16 from 130, so I won’t be tacking at 7:00 as expected. The wind will probably back once the sun comes out. I am now less than 1000 nm from IFN, so I can watch the tenths of nm click down (currently 983.4), which is always satisfying. IFN marks the point I will begin the starboard tack up the coast to Barbados. Except while passing through the ITCZ, I will mostly have strong wind on the beam and expect SOG over 5. The sun poked through the clouds at 7:01. The GRIBs have been updating around 7:00, so I downloaded one at 7:30. PW still expects me to be on a starboard tack during the day today, but the wind still favors port. Wind may be lighter overnight, but is expected to pick up again tomorrow … not that the forecast means anything as it is presently incorrect. I don’t mind continuing W. I have been studying the weather patterns and the wind tends to be lighter N. Also, the further W I travel, the better WPT BRG I will have towards IFN for a starboard tack N (currently back to 302). As expected, the wind started to back around 8:30, as soon as the sun started shining, and I tacked to starboard with a COG of 320. I prepared a marinade of tangerine concentrate and fresh ginger for the fish today. The fish remained mostly frozen overnight. This will be my fifth day (usually the limit), but the fish still smells fresh. I have about seven portions left. There is a tanker coming up on my starboard quarter that I will have to pay attention to. I am guessing it is about 10h away. It is possible that I will tack around dusk and away from it before it reaches me. I laid down for a rest at 11:30 and slept very deeply for an hour. When I woke a rain storm had developed upwind. It is probably more accurate to write the change in wind woke me from A deep sleep. At 12:30, the wind speed dropped markedly from 17 to 8 and backed from 120 to 70. As the dark cloud passed, the wind slowly returned and veered. It started to rain at 12:40. The rainfall was too light to bathe. There seemed to be two main showers, one that passed in front of me and the other aft. As the weather passed, I saw a small black bird flowing low to the water. Funny, I was just thinking during my tea this morning that it had been quite a few days since I had seen a bird. Another storm hit at 13:30 with 25 kt winds, the strongest I have experienced yet during the passage. After it had passed, I started my meal. The orange ginger sauce and fish were served over brown rice with a side of corn. The meal was ready at 14:30 and was incredibly tasty. I will have it again. The distance sailed towards IFN in the last 24h was 1044-948=96 nm. The total distance sailed was 20115-19964=151 nm (151/24=6.3 kt avg). I have sailed more than 20,000 nm since beginning this voyage.
Comments: Sunset is at 19:00 at 5.75W. At 17.33W it should be at 19:46. By 18:00, the clear sky were replaced by dark clouds, the wind picked up, and it backed to less than 100. It started to rain at 18:30. This was probably the front that will bring lighter winds tomorrow. I was supposed to tack about 19:00, but clearly I would not be doing that under these conditions as I was being blow almost towards the waypoint on a starboard tack. Sunset was not going to be for an hour, but it was dark and I was tired, so I started to get ready to sleep. When the front passes, I suspect the wind will veer, which may signal the time to tack. As expected, by 20:00 the wind had veered to 120, so I tacked to port (just before it got too dark to see). I was able to make about 260 in a deep broad reach. Hopefully, the wind will veer a bit more. No threats on the OTH AIS, so I set a timer for 2h. The wind did continue to veer and by midnight it was 140 giving a COG of 280. At 1:00 I was waken up because a 20 kt gust had caused the boat to round up. I adjusted the windvane. I got up at 6:20. I have traveled mostly due W at a SOG of 4.0-5.0 all night. Sunrise is at 6:02 at 5.75W. At 18.25W it should be at 6:51. The sun came up behind a cloud bank, but it looks like the clouds are clearing upwind. The wind is still blowing 16 from 130, so I won’t be tacking at 7:00 as expected. The wind will probably back once the sun comes out. I am now less than 1000 nm from IFN, so I can watch the tenths of nm click down (currently 983.4), which is always satisfying. IFN marks the point I will begin the starboard tack up the coast to Barbados. Except while passing through the ITCZ, I will mostly have strong wind on the beam and expect SOG over 5. The sun poked through the clouds at 7:01. The GRIBs have been updating around 7:00, so I downloaded one at 7:30. PW still expects me to be on a starboard tack during the day today, but the wind still favors port. Wind may be lighter overnight, but is expected to pick up again tomorrow … not that the forecast means anything as it is presently incorrect. I don’t mind continuing W. I have been studying the weather patterns and the wind tends to be lighter N. Also, the further W I travel, the better WPT BRG I will have towards IFN for a starboard tack N (currently back to 302). As expected, the wind started to back around 8:30, as soon as the sun started shining, and I tacked to starboard with a COG of 320. I prepared a marinade of tangerine concentrate and fresh ginger for the fish today. The fish remained mostly frozen overnight. This will be my fifth day (usually the limit), but the fish still smells fresh. I have about seven portions left. There is a tanker coming up on my starboard quarter that I will have to pay attention to. I am guessing it is about 10h away. It is possible that I will tack around dusk and away from it before it reaches me. I laid down for a rest at 11:30 and slept very deeply for an hour. When I woke a rain storm had developed upwind. It is probably more accurate to write the change in wind woke me from A deep sleep. At 12:30, the wind speed dropped markedly from 17 to 8 and backed from 120 to 70. As the dark cloud passed, the wind slowly returned and veered. It started to rain at 12:40. The rainfall was too light to bathe. There seemed to be two main showers, one that passed in front of me and the other aft. As the weather passed, I saw a small black bird flowing low to the water. Funny, I was just thinking during my tea this morning that it had been quite a few days since I had seen a bird. Another storm hit at 13:30 with 25 kt winds, the strongest I have experienced yet during the passage. After it had passed, I started my meal. The orange ginger sauce and fish were served over brown rice with a side of corn. The meal was ready at 14:30 and was incredibly tasty. I will have it again. The distance sailed towards IFN in the last 24h was 1044-948=96 nm. The total distance sailed was 20115-19964=151 nm (151/24=6.3 kt avg). I have sailed more than 20,000 nm since beginning this voyage.