Author: mtashby

Current Position: 16 24.357’S 75 29.888’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 6.0 kt; COG: 270; TWS: 17 kt; TWD: 110; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 263): 715 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 12919 nm; Engine Hours: 259; Estimate Fuel: 56+10+50;
Comments: It is 20:00 and I just downloaded a new GRIB. While this passage started out with a bang, it is shaping up to end in a whimper. There is only one cargo ship I might have to deal with tonight, and it looks like it will pass well S of me in the morning. It looks like the wind has begun to back, driving me S. I adjusted the windvane to increase the TWA. While it slows me down a bit, it will give me a more comfortable ride overnight while decreasing the push S. I had a squall come through at 21:15 with light wind, followed by a period of dead air, then higher winds that changed directions, messing with the windvane. I went on deck to tighten the preventer to keep the boom steadier. At 23:15 the boat accidentally jibbed, waking me up a few minutes before an alarm was going to. I am not certain what caused it, but it was raining, suggesting a squall and a sudden wind shift. The boat jibbed again at 23:45. I cannot figure out what is causing it except it seems to be when the winds are lighter. I may have too much weather helm built into the windvane for the light wind. Since I am staying awake a bit to see if I can figure out what is causing the jibbed, I downloaded long-range AIS data which shows the commercial traffic is going to steer clear of me. The boast did not jibe again the rest of the night, but it was a rough ride, I think because of the confused seas. I slept at 60-90m intervals and woke at 6:20. It was still drizzling and had been all night. The wind had blown the mist inside the boat and everything seemed wet. I will have a mildew problem if I don’t get the boat dried out. I tried for an hour to connect to the IGE, but the network was “unstable.” The reception is five bars. I tried rebooting the IGE several times and the DataHub once. I tried accessing through the Internet interface to the DataHub and and when trying to do a position report or a fetch mail. It would wait indefinitely for the network to stabilize. I bypassed the DataHub and connected directly to the IGE network but this did not help. All of the error lights and other signals suggest both the IGE and DataHub are working correctly. I do not know what is causing the unstable network. The offline manuals have not b en useful. I downloaded a copy of the on-line manuals before I left, but for some reason I cannot open them with the Dell tablet. There is a copy on the Apple laptop, but it stopped working some time ago. If I cannot get the IGE system to work by the time I am to submit my log, I will activate the InReach and send a message to everyone that I am okay. At 10:30 the Iridium network stabilized. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the trouble began with the heavy cloud cover and drizzle and returned again when the weather started clearing up. The latest GRIB affords no big surprises. The 30+ kt gusts are leaving this afternoon and the 20+ kt winds are leaving this evening. They will be replaced with 17-23 kt winds that are supposed to be nearly due E overnight. I will unfurl the rest of the jib this afternoon and plan to be driven S. This is what I planned for. Now that the cockpit is dry again and the waves are not as massive, I had my oatmeal at 11:00. Never did make tea this morning. Vy It is noon and I am averaging 7 kt at 260. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 859-715=144 nm. The total distance sailed was 12919-12766=153 nm (153/24=6.38 kt avg.).

Current Position: 16 06.431’S 78 01.690’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 6.7 kt; COG: 290; TWS: 24 kt; TWD: 150; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 263): 859 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 12765 nm; Engine Hours: 257; Estimate Fuel: 56+10+50;
Comments: At 14:30 I furled in about 20% of the Yankee as the winds began to build to better balance the sails and relieve some of the strain on the leach of the jib. I was averaging 6.8 kt at 280. Sunset is at 17:58 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (80.3e) it should be about 67m later, 19:05 by sunset I was already seeing gusts near 30 and averaging over 7 kt. I set a course closer to a run to smooth out the ride. I woke up at 6:30 to light rain. I had slept in approximately 1h intervals for almost 10h. I was also awaken three times when the boat rounded up during the night, driven by high winds and big seas. At least one of those times it was because the control line on the windvane had slipped under the pressure. I had strange dreams. It is 7:00, almost sunrise, and the wind has dropped to 19. Not sure if it is due to the storm that just passed. I adjusted the windvane closer to a broad reach than a run to try to stop slatting of the sails. The boat has slowed down from an average of 7 overnight to 5.8 kt this morning. I downloaded a new GRIB. The wind should be mid-20s with gust in the low-30s from about 120. I will likely encounter three commercial vessels in the next 24h. It is 8:40 and another squall is rolling in. It does not look threatening. Another one hit at 10:00 with a moderate amount of rain. By midmorning I was once again averaging close to 7 kt. As predicted, the winds blew mid-20s with occasional gusts in the low-30s. By midday it was still dark so I ran the engine 45m to charge the batteries. I fell asleep after lunch for 1.5h and woke at 14:10 to see a bit of sun. It was still heavily overcast but it was brighter. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1007-859=148 nm. The total distance sailed was 12766-12605=161 nm (161/24=6.71 kt avg.).

Current Position: 16 01.077’S 80 41.761’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 6.7 kt; COG: 285; TWS: 23 kt; TWD: 150; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 264): 1007 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 12605 nm; Engine Hours: 256; Estimate Fuel: 56+11+50;
Comments: Sunset is at 17:58 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (83e) it should be about 56m later, 18:54. A cargo ship showed up on AIS at 16:15 and will pass 10 nm S of me in 1:15. It is 17:30 and the wind has unexpectedly veered to 142, allowing to make distance N in a broad reach. The actual sunset was 18:55, corresponding to my position of 82 42’e. It is the first sunset I have seen in weeks. The nighttime was uneventful. There were no weather incidents, no commercial traffic, and the windvane did its job. I got 8h sleep and woke at 4:30. The new GRIB shows no significant changes in the forecast since yesterday. I expect strong winds and big seas for the next three days. It does not look like I will see any commercial traffic today. Sunrise is at 5:47 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (81.5e) it should be about 62m later, 6:49. I need to cook today, I have one piece of shark left, but it is over a week old now, so may give it a miss. I need to cook for a potentially rough couple of days. I am going to “float test” the eggs (I have had them in the fridge since Darwin) and if they are good will make egg/ham/cheese burritos out of them. I fell back asleep and missed the sunrise. By 9:00 the wind was blowing steady at 22 kt from 150 and my course was due E. I am averaging 6.5 kt. I believe I will have three days of very strong wind and will likely make 150 nm/day on. The winds should start gusting to 30 by late evening, so I will reduce the Yankee a bit at dusk. Eggs looked good … they passed the did-not-float test. Remarkable in that they are nearly two months old, but kept in the fridge the whole time (because they were refrigerated in the store). I used the last of the eggs, ham, and cheese to try to make breakfast burritos. Unfortunately, two of the eggs had fungus inside and contaminated the rest. The ham was also suspect, so I threw it all away. The cheese was spoiled on the outside but fine when trimmed, so I made five bean burritos using canned refried beans, canned salsa, a fresh onion, and the cheese. I ate one for lunch and saved the other four for these next 2-3 rough days. It is noon and unfortunately the clouds have moved back in. There is even so threat of rain. This is perhaps not surprising as a prelude to the expected increase in wind. I continue to creep northward. This is good for two reasons. First, the stronger winds are expected to last longer northward. Second, the wind is expected to move easterly, driving me S later in the week. Moving S is always easy, but moving N if I have been driven too far S often requires making an unproductive tack to the N. Sipi and Thindra are now 130 nm S of me and practically at the latitude of Rodrigues, their destination. While that has improved their speed, they may regret moving that far S. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1145-1007=138 nm. The total distance sailed was 12605-12458=147 nm (147/24=6.13 kt avg.).

Current Position: 15 55.451’S 83 05.441’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 5.6 kt; COG: 272; TWS: 18 kt; TWD: 130; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 264): 1145 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 12458 nm; Engine Hours: 256; Estimate Fuel: 56+11+50;
Comments: Sunset is at 17:58 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (85e) it should be about 48m later, 18:46. The sun disappeared behind a cloud bank on the horizon at 18:39. It is 6:15 and I just woke up. I slept 11h last night, in mostly 1.5-2h periods! The sailing was completely drama free, the entire time 5.5 kt at about 260. There was no commercial traffic. It is almost sunrise, the sky is partly cloudy, and there are no weather threats. I downloaded a new GRIB. It looks like the weather is not going to be as severe this week as was predicted previously. Gusts in the 30s will not begin until late tomorrow night and will last until Wednesday morning, in other words delayed by about 12h. Also, the gusts with be in the low 30s, not mid-30s. Big, 16’ swells are predicted to accompany the higher wind, but fortunately the interval will be much greater. Otherwise, more of the same, 18/25. The forecast is for the wind to diminish significantly by the weekend, but that is a long way away. No commercial traffic is expected today. Sunrise is at 17:47 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (84e) it should be about 53m later, 6:39. The sun came up behind a cloud bank. I heard a prop plane at 8:00, but did not spot it. I went forward to check the rigging and discovered a problem. The bolts that hold the gooseneck to the mast-end of the boom has completely cleaved off, leaving only a pin to hold the boom on. The hole that it normally screws into the end of the boom has been rounded and elongated … completely stripped out. This was the part of the major repair I made in Tonga. There is nothing I can do but hope the pin does not cleave during the next 1200 miles. When U get to Rodrigues, I will have to take the mainsail and sail pack down, disassemble the boom, and effect a repair. Since the stainless gooseneck fitting is cast and cannot accommodate a larger bolt, I will either need to find someone who can weld aluminum or fabricate some sort of spacer. Since it is more likely I can find someone to weld/machine stainless steel, I might need to go the route of a spacer. I found the photos I took of the end piece of the boom when I worked on it. The bolt that had been cleaved was a replacement because I had to replace the original 3/8” bolt with a 10mm bolt (after tapping the hole) because of a stripped thread. The 10mm bolt was purchased at the chandlery in Tonga, and was clearly of low quality. While I was forward examining this problem, the boat jibed. When I got back to the cockpit I discovered the bungee cord that holds the continuous line for the windvane had failed. Fortunately I had a replacement at the ready and the problem was quickly dealt with. This is my last bungee. I have some elastic material and can probably fabricate a replacement if necessary, or I will look for some in South Africa. Regardless of the strength of the wind, I am going to keep the main double-reefed until the gooseneck is repaired. The 35 kt winds expected tomorrow night are not arriving at a good time. I drilled to holes in the windvane foil and secured it with zip-ties. It is not going anywhere. I thought about the issue with the gooseneck. If I can find a very large fender washer or a piece of stainless steel plate, I could drill four could secure it with screws/bolts to the end piece of the boom and keep the hole in the aluminum end piece from wearing larger. I could then secure the gooseneck to the reinforced end piece. Today the ocean is deep blue … “the deep blue sea.” I have not seen this color since the Pacific. It requires very deep water and bright sunlight, a combination I have not seen in months. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1265-1145=120 nm. The total distance sailed was 12458-12337=121 nm (121/24=5.04 kt avg.).

Current Position: 15 37.251’S 85 09.655’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 5.5 kt; COG: 264; TWS: 18 kt; TWD: 128; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 263): 1265 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 12337 nm; Engine Hours: 256; Estimate Fuel: 56+11+50;
Comments: Sunset is at 17:58 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (87e) it should be about 40m later, 18:38. There were clouds in the horizon, so I could not see the sunset, but this was about right. With no commercial traffic predicted last night, steady winds, no storms predicted, and because the wind vane had operated 48h without any problems, I set my sleep intervals for 90m last night and got a good night’s sleep. Sunrise is at 17:48 at the Cocos (97e) so at my current location (86e) it should be about 44m later, 6:32. While it is largely cloudless this morning, clouds on the eastern horizon prevented me from seeing the sunrise. It appears I will have a couple of nice days of sailing. Monday brings mid-30s winds. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1399-1265=134 nm. The total distance sailed was 12337-12195=142 nm (142/24=5.92 kt avg.).

Current Position: 14 51.229’S 87 21.206’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 6.0 kt; COG: 256; TWS: 23 kt; TWD: 117; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 261): 1399 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 12195 nm; Engine Hours: 256; Estimate Fuel: 56+12+50;
Comments: I downloaded a new GRIB at 15:00. No real surprises 20 with 25 gusts for the foreseeable future. It is 16:30 and for the first time in 24h the cockpit was sort of dry enough to sit in it, so I went out to enjoy my dinner. I was putting the first bite in my mouth when I noticed the shackle that connects the tack pendant of the Yankee to the furler drum had broken free. Apparently the seized pin had come out of the shackle. With no way to furl the jib, I had to go out to the bow pulpit in heavy seas and under full sail to lash the pendent to the drum. All I had handy that would fit was some paracord. Fortunately it probably only needs to work once or twice since the jib will likely be deployed for the remainder of the passage. If that does not hold, I can run some stainless wire through it. I also noticed the furler line is become worn in a few places. Fortunately, I bought a replacement in Darwin. I will also replace that in Rodrigues. It is almost 3:00 and I have been sleeping soundly for 90m periods since 19:00. I went into the cockpit for the first time tonight and saw some stars. The weather may be finally clearing. I woke up a bit before 5:00. Sunrise is at 5:49 in the Cocos (96e) and I estimate it will be 36m later at 88e, so 6:25. The wind is blowing 22 from 110, which I believe it has done all night. Once again the forecast was wrong about the wind backing to 90. AIS data shows the three boats I started with were all pushed S of me overnight. The two larger boats are about 40 nm ahead and Mike remains 15. The latest GRIB shows more of the same, 19/24 and again predicts the wind should be blowing from 90 instead of 110. As I move E from the Cocos to Rodrigues, the time zone will shift from UTC+6.5 to UTC+4. I am currently in UTC+6 and will be in 5 in a couple of days. But, I will not switch the time on the log entry until I am completely in UTC+4. It is 6:45 and I am enjoying my tea in the cockpit for the first time in several days. It is partly cloudy and no rain clouds are visible. The sun is just beginning to rise above the clouds in the horizon. It is the first time I have seen it in days. The wind is now at 107 and the angle of the swells is beginning to cause slatting of the sails, so I changed to a more southerly course. Rodrigues is 260, due E, and I am now headed 245. Less of a run and more of a broad reach, I picked up some speed from 5.5 to 6. After breakfast I am going forward to check the rigging. Well, the good news is the nuts, bolts and screws on the gooseneck seem secure and I found a bolt that will fit the shackle that connects the jib pendant to the roller furler (which is good because the cord I used to secure it last night had already chaffed practically through). The bad news is the furler line is even more badly chaffed than it was yesterday. The core of the line had been exposed, and that will not last long. I have no choice but to replace the line now, before the high winds show up at the beginning of the week. I have unfurled/furled the line by hand at sea before, when knots have developed around the drum. It is not an easy task. Each wrap has to be taken off/put on the drum by hand when a sail is flying on the furler. It is difficult to do in calm sea, which I do not have. I will start by taking off the old line so I can mark how much I need to furl with the new line. I also need to whip the ends of the new Dyneema line. There is a period on Sunday morning when the wind is supposed to be a little lighter, but the 30-35 kt winds come Monday, so I don’t think I want to wait that long in case I run into some difficulties. On one hand, I am glad I had the foresight to purchase new line in Darwin. On the other hand, I am kicking myself for not replacing the line while at anchor. I fixed the shackle then crossed my fingers and furled the sail using the threadbare line. Fortunately, it did not break and I was able to install the new line relatively easily. I did get very soaked as the waves were coming over the bowsprit.The entire operation took about an hour and running between the cockpit and the bowsprit a half dozen times. By 9:30 I was underway. There was even a little sun when I was finished. I celebrated by eating my last tangerine. I had to go forward again at 10:30 to replace a chaffed line on the sail pack. A ship 37 nm away appeared at 12:30 to my NE. It should catch up to me about 14:30.it is 13:00 and the waves have become very short, steep, and tall. The tanker is going to pass 12 nm N of me in about 40m. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1530-1399=131 nm. The total distance sailed was 12195-12058=137 nm (137/24=5.70 kt avg.). Note for about an hour I was actually going in the wrong direction as I worked on the roller furler.

Current Position: 14 07.691’S 89 28.737’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 6.0 kt; COG: 260; TWS: 19 kt; TWD: 121; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 259): 1530 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 12058 nm; Engine Hours: 256; Estimate Fuel: 56+12+50;
Comments: I downloaded a fresh GRIB at 14:30, but I am not sure why. The light wind that was supposed to show up today never did and the new forecast is more of the same … winds in the high teens and gusts in the mid-20s. I believe what we have seen today is the remnants of the gale that was on the W coast of Australia during the last few days. A large squall with driving rain hit at 16:30. The initial wind gust reached 39, but was manageable with the sail plan (double-reefed main and full Yankee in a broad reach). The wind shifted, driving the course from 240 to 280. I was awaken at 20:00 because of sustained 30 kt winds. I did not appear to be in a squall. 29 kt gusts had been predicted after midnight. I adjusted the windvane to be in a deep broad reach. The boat was still averaging 7 kt. The foil for the windvane came off again at 21:30. I cannot budge the threads for the clamp. In the morning, I am going to drill some holes in the smaller vane and zip-tie it on to the clamp. When I get the chance, I am going to manufacture some spares out of thin plywood that is fiberglassed. The big foil came off again at 22:30. I replaced it with the smaller foil and tied it on the best I could … a rough job in these seas with the wind blowing 30. Will drill holes and zip-tie in the morning. When I get to Rodrigues, I will try to remove the frozen clamp bolts and clean up the threads with a tap and die. If that does not work, I will use the impact wrench to remove them and replace the bolts. The boat rounded up at 22:55. I was reminded why I replaced the smaller foil with the larger one. The smaller one is more temperamental … it is not as responsive. At 1:15 the boat accidentally heaved to. The wind was blowing 32 from 130. My course is about 280 (waypoint 258). A squall came through at 3:00 with light rain that caused the boat to jibe again. I adjusted the course to 260 (waypoint 258) to try to avoid it happening again. As the squall passed through, the wind dropped from 30 to 15 and veered, almost causing the boat to jibe again. At 3:20 I got an unexpected shower as I had to go on deck to fix the line I use to secure the dive platform. The wind had already built back up to the mid-20s. Sunrise should be about 6:13. I have made 97 nm on since the check-in yesterday (6 kt avg. on). I should be one-quarter of the way by about 22:00 tonight, after 3.5 days. This puts me on track for a two week passage. I was hit by the strongest squall of the passage at 9:45. The wind backed to 75 and blew horizontal rain at 35 kt. It is 10:45. The wind dropped to almost zero for about half an hour, then it blew about 10 from 70. Thinking this might be the backing of the wind that was supposed to happen midday, I tacked. But the wind started blowing in the 20s from 130, so I tacked again. However, while doing that the main Barrient 36 winch on the starboard side seized up. Eventually I was able to get the slow, but not the high-speed to work. Something is jamming the high-speed gear, perhaps a pebble or a chunk of wood from the ant colony I am trying to eradicate. I dare not disassemble the winch in these angry waters. I will do it when I get to Rodrigues. In the meantime, if the winch stops working all together, I can probably rig up something with the staysail wench. Fortunately, I have spare parts and grease for the wench onboard. It is noon and it looks like the thick cloud cover may be breaking up. I got hit by another squall at 13:30. It was not as intense as the last one. At 14:30 yet another squall. There is no sign of them letting up. The sky is still socked in. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1677-1530=147 nm. The total distance sailed was 12058-11901=157 nm (157/24=6.54 kt avg.). By 22:00 tonight I will be one-quarter of the way and on pace for the passage to take 15 days.

Current Position: 13 42.079’S 92 01.068’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 5.7 kt; COG: 240; TWS: 21 kt; TWD: 100; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 257): 1677 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 11901 nm; Engine Hours: 254; Estimate Fuel: 56+13+50;
Comments: At 16:45 the wind and current had shifted, reducing the boat speed to 5 kt. I changed the course from 250 to 240 and increased the speed to 6 kt. Sunset should be 12m later than the Cocos, 18:10. The GRIB was 18h old, so downloaded fresh data at 18:00. No big surprises, but I note the forecast has been bouncing all over the place with respect to speed and direction and it has not correlated well with observations. Basically, the wind is usually 16/22 punctuated by periods of 14/18 and direction that varies from 115 to 130. There are some clouds at dusk and a few sprinkles, but nothing that looks threatening. We are at the edge of zones that have weather warnings for gales and thunderstorms, but are not actually in any of those zones. I am leaving the Yankee fully deployed and a double reef in the main. I will keep a watch though because higher winds are forecasted near dawn with gusts approaching 30. At 22:15 I heard White Malkin hail a ship on 16, warning it that it was headed for a group of sailboats. At 22:20 it showed up on the AIS 29 nm will away going 11 kt. This was the first of three cargo ships I would have to worry about tonight. I set an alarm for 60m and went back to sleep. I woke at 23:25 and Sunny Kindia was 12 nm off my starboard bow and on a course opposite to mine. As expected, the wind had dropped to 14 and backed to 108. I was running directly against a 1 kt current making about 4 kt. We passed each other starboard to starboard a little after midnight, and I set my alarm and went back to sleep. At 1:40 the second cargo ship appeared 25 nm off my port bow. It will pass S of me by 14 nm. The third showed up at 2:40 28 nm away. It looks like it will pass S of me too. A fourth ship unexpectedly appeared from the opposite direction. It is 36 nm away and expected to pass N. At 3:20 I was awaken because the boat had sped up. It was gusting to 20 as expected and raining lightly, but only going 5 kt because I am still fighting a 1 kt current. It began raining hard at 3:35 and the boat turned S. Although I knew the wind shifted was temporary, I adjusted the windvane because of the third boat passing S of me. It is 5:20, about an hour before sunrise. The wind is 18-20 from 110, as predicted, and I am on a broad reach. The current has started to rotate counterclockwise and while still fighting it, it is helping me push further N now. I have averaged 4.7 kt since the check-in 15h ago. The fourth ship is still 22 nm away, but will clear well N of me in a couple of hours. It is 6:30, half an hour after sunrise, and it is still quite dark with thick rainclouds. The weather is not threatening this morning, but I anticipate more showers. The sea is much calmer than what it has been the past couple days. I am making 5.5 in 18-20 from 105 in a broad reach towards 245 (waypoint is 257). The wind is supposed to back to close to 90 later this morning, and if it does I will tack to gain some latitude. It is supposed to be 90 most of tomorrow afternoon as well. It is 7:00 and the current is with me again, so I am making 6.0. I have studied the long-range AIS and I do not see any commercial vessels that will come near me in the next 24h. A large wave breached the port quarter and pooped the cockpit at 9:50. A good deal of water came in the cabin. I put a couple slates in the companionway so it does not happen again. Because the seas were relatively calm and I was sailing in a broad reach, I took advantage to prepare a shark-stock soup with noodles. I need to use the fresh sharp up before it spoils, so will try to eat it for lunch each day I can. It was dark most of the day. Although I have not been rained upon since last night, there has been precipitation around me most of the day. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1801-1677=124 nm. The total distance sailed was 11901-11772=129 nm (129/24=5.38 kt avg.).

Current Position: 12 46.694’S 93 54.070’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 5.9 kt; COG: 254; TWS: 19 kt; TWD: 126; Distance to Waypoint (Rodrigues, 256): 1801 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 11772 nm; Engine Hours: 253; Estimate Fuel: 56+14+50;
Comments: Sunset was approximately 18:00. At 18:30 the cargo ship Rosebank hailed Sipi as it was about to pass through the cluster of four sailboats that left the Cocos this morning. It appears it will pass 1-3 nm in front of me about 20:00. The ship has changed its course and it appears it will split the cluster of four sailboats into two pairs. About 22:00, halfway through my second one-hour-interval timer, I was awaken by a strange flapping noise. The windvane airfoil had come out of its bracket and was flapping in the wind by its security string, leaving the boat unpiloted, rounded up, and heading straight for White Malkin 2.5 nm S of me. I quickly donned my helmet/headlamp and harness and climbed on the back of the boat to reattach the windvane. There are two hand-tightened knobs that hold the windvane on, and their threads seemed to be corroded, making it difficult to tighten them further. I am currently flying the larger airfoil and in this wind I should be using the smaller one. I spayed some penetrating oil on the threads . When it is light, I will put the TillerPilot on and try to swap the airfoils. I checked the trace and I must have woken up instantly when the flapping began. Sunrise is at 5:51 in the Cocos and I am about 2 degrees W, so sunrise here should be about 5:59. I didn’t see the sun because of clouds on the horizon, but that looks about right. Overnight, the wind dropped from 20/25 to 18/22 and backed from 140 to 120. All four sailboats are within 10 nm of each other. The other three are beginning to head S to continue a beam reach. I am trying to stay in the rhumb line to take the most advantage of the current, but also enjoy a more comfortable ride with respect to the heeling and following seas. There are no threatening clouds, so I let out the rest of the Yankee and trimmed the sails, but my average speed has still fallen from 6.5 to 6.2. I heard a noise last night that sounded like a fish on the deck. I went out to save it, but didn’t see anything. I found it this morning in the bucket I keep in the cockpit. I downloaded fresh GRIB/AIS data about 18:00. No big surprises. I am no longer in and areas that have thunderstorm warnings. The sky is clear except in the horizons. PW wants me to head further S, but it looks like I will have better wind a few days from now if I stick to the rhumb line. There is some commercial traffic and I should see a few ships, but should not have to be concerned about anything for the next 24h. The two 42/43’ boats with two crew are starting to pull away from the two 36/38’ boats that are being single-handed. But, Sipi (a modern 43’ ketch) is still only 11 nm ahead and she left 90m before me, so I must be make about the same speed. When/if the winds lighten up I expect all three boats will move well ahead of me. I am glad we are spread out a bit now so there is less chance of an incident, especially when I am sleeping. My recollection is we are all headed for Rodrigues. I have injured a toe on my left foot. In the light of day I can see it is all black and blue. It is not broken or particularly painful and the skin is not broken, so I am sure it will be fine. It is 19:00 and it suddenly got quiet. I looked over and the wind was only blowing 15 and the boat was sound 5. The forecast is for the winds to drop to 13-18 for the next 36h. This will be the lightest winds for the next week. I expect my average boat speed for the next 36h will be 5.5. It is 9:00, 24h since leaving the Cocos, and I gave made 150 nm (6.25 kt avg.). A ship passed 8 nm in front of me at 10:20. The distance sailed towards Rodrigues in the last 24h was 1944-1801=143 nm. The total distance sailed was 11772-11617=155 nm (155/24=6.46 kt avg.).

Current Position: 12 05.569’S 96 52.904’E; Local Timezone: UTC+6.5; SOG: 0 kt; COG: N/A; TWS: ? kt; TWD: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Cocos): At Anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 11577 nm; Engine Hours: 248; Estimate Fuel: 56+15+50;
Comments: Greij, Paradise Falls, and Chinook all left about 7:45, about the same time I hooked a black tip shark. I took me 5m to catch it with half a flying fish using a piece of SS piano wire as a leader. I got six large steaks out of the shark. I plan to simply sear the shark and boil it with Raman noodles to make simple broths and quick meals. I had four beef sausages left over, so made a lentil curry with carrots and onions for another four meals. I have one leftover meal from a pasta dish last night. Together, this should make enough meals for the passage. I also made a large batch of instant oatmeal with walnuts and dates. The nasty weather rolled in at least a y early. Early in the morning a front moved in. By midday we were have light showers and it was very dark. It is 11:30 and I have finished the cooking and all the dishes are waahed. I have about an hour of work putting things away and getting the boat ready, then I am going ashore to get some exercise walking the interpretive trail I am wearing my swimming trunks as I expect to get wet. The hike was fantastic, especially on the windward side of the island where the ruins of the cable station were strewn across the coast. I got back to the boat about 3:30, fixed a couple of portions of the shark and rice, dropped one off at the 5.80 boat of Jasmine Harris (whom I had helped earlier in the day to furl a spinnaker), then went to Mike’s boat where Ertan had prepared a lovely meal with a green salad (green all the way from Darwin) and a beef and rice dish that was very tasty. We were joined by a German solo sailor, Karl, who had arrived yesterday on Rosinante, a boat that was built by his father who sailed it for 50 years before Karl inherited it. I made it back to my boat just as it was getting dark, just in time to stow the dinghy. It was a struggle to do so in the wind. I have about an hours work to do in the morning before taking off.