Current Position: 7 41.341’S 25 22.866’W; Timezone: UTC-3; SOG: 4.4 kt; COG: 320; TWS: 12; TWD: 106; Current Speed (includes effect of surfing): 1.8 kt; Current Direction: 308; Distance to Waypoint (IFN, 299): 470 nm; Distance to Endpoint (Bridgetown): 2395 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 20,830 nm; Engine Hours: 414; Estimate Fuel: 60+8+50;
Comments: Sunset is at 17:29 at 32.5W (Ilha de Fernando de Noronha). At 24.25W it should be at 16:56. Sunset was actually about 17:01. I am going to see some traffic tonight. A cargo ship about 21:00 and a tanker around dawn. PW wants me on a starboard tack tonight, but the wind is blowing from 140 allowing me sail close to the waypoint at 300. Perhaps the wind will back tonight. I went to sleep at 17:30 and set a 2h alarm. Just before 19:30 the boat rounded up and it was time to tack (jibe) starboard. I may be on this course for 300 nm until I pick up the 1-2 kt equatorial counter current W. The cargo ship passed 6 nm S of me at 20:00. I downloaded new data. I will encounter a cargo ship in 6-7h (2-3:00) and perhaps a tanker about the same time. Both ships passed at 3:00 at 6-10 nm an of me. Sunrise is at 5:10 at 32.5W (Ilha de Fernando de Noronha). At 25.0W it should be at 4:40. I woke at 4:00. The sun came up behind clouds, and with it the wind veered to 240. I tacked to port at 4:45. Will probably be in this tack until about 9:00 (until the wind back to about 120). Wind speed is completely in accurate now. It bounces around. The wind direction still seems to work. The sun broke through at 5:10. Today is a special day. It is the 10th straight day of eating marlin and I will consume the last portion. It has taken a great effort to conserve energy so I could keep the fridge running and the fish mostly frozen. I have kept it twice as long as any other fish I have caught and the last portion appears to be relatively fresh (does not smell). I am pretty sure I’ve had a year’s dose of mercury. While I am grateful to the Sea for providing, I am really looking forward to eating something else. Remarkably, I have only used two of the 35 meal packages I prepared for the passage. I expect it to last until Panama, which is good, because I expect provisions to be much cheaper in Panama relative to Barbados. By 6:45 the wind had backed and I tacked to starboard. I downloaded new data at 10:30. I expect a tanker and a cargo ship to pass south of me about 14:00. Mona is only about 110 nm SE of me and is going 8 kt. It must be a large sailboat (over 50’). The batteries were fully charged by 11:00. It has been the sunniest day of the passage. The distance sailed towards IFN in the last 24h was 575-470=105 nm. The total distance sailed was 20830-20675=155 nm (155/24=6.5 kt avg).
Comments: Sunset is at 17:29 at 32.5W (Ilha de Fernando de Noronha). At 24.25W it should be at 16:56. Sunset was actually about 17:01. I am going to see some traffic tonight. A cargo ship about 21:00 and a tanker around dawn. PW wants me on a starboard tack tonight, but the wind is blowing from 140 allowing me sail close to the waypoint at 300. Perhaps the wind will back tonight. I went to sleep at 17:30 and set a 2h alarm. Just before 19:30 the boat rounded up and it was time to tack (jibe) starboard. I may be on this course for 300 nm until I pick up the 1-2 kt equatorial counter current W. The cargo ship passed 6 nm S of me at 20:00. I downloaded new data. I will encounter a cargo ship in 6-7h (2-3:00) and perhaps a tanker about the same time. Both ships passed at 3:00 at 6-10 nm an of me. Sunrise is at 5:10 at 32.5W (Ilha de Fernando de Noronha). At 25.0W it should be at 4:40. I woke at 4:00. The sun came up behind clouds, and with it the wind veered to 240. I tacked to port at 4:45. Will probably be in this tack until about 9:00 (until the wind back to about 120). Wind speed is completely in accurate now. It bounces around. The wind direction still seems to work. The sun broke through at 5:10. Today is a special day. It is the 10th straight day of eating marlin and I will consume the last portion. It has taken a great effort to conserve energy so I could keep the fridge running and the fish mostly frozen. I have kept it twice as long as any other fish I have caught and the last portion appears to be relatively fresh (does not smell). I am pretty sure I’ve had a year’s dose of mercury. While I am grateful to the Sea for providing, I am really looking forward to eating something else. Remarkably, I have only used two of the 35 meal packages I prepared for the passage. I expect it to last until Panama, which is good, because I expect provisions to be much cheaper in Panama relative to Barbados. By 6:45 the wind had backed and I tacked to starboard. I downloaded new data at 10:30. I expect a tanker and a cargo ship to pass south of me about 14:00. Mona is only about 110 nm SE of me and is going 8 kt. It must be a large sailboat (over 50’). The batteries were fully charged by 11:00. It has been the sunniest day of the passage. The distance sailed towards IFN in the last 24h was 575-470=105 nm. The total distance sailed was 20830-20675=155 nm (155/24=6.5 kt avg).