Monday 1.25pm Sun beginning to get out from behind cloud layer. Temperature rising and pressure up now at 1021.7hPa. Still have to complete re-packing of JSD so it's ready to deploy again, although I hope to avoid that.
Have been busy clearing up in the galley - needed it after the recent rough conditions, when minimum gets done there. Finally got to making the pancakes I've been promising myself for several days - a friend pointed out that I'd totally missed 'Pancake Tuesday' (on Shrove Tuesday) - that must be a 'first' for very many years!
Have to say that without fresh eggs on board now, I missed making the crepes I love - but the N American style pancake mix was a fair substitute, was easy to use and worked quite well - better that than nothing and a good excuse to get out the maple syrup! Treated myself to a mug of fresh coffee to go with them.
Presently heading ENE, planning to stay at around 40S to avoid the 'Anzac Day' storm system further S, expected off Tasmania and coming by over Thursday/Saturday.
Keeping an eye open for the Light-mantled albatross pair I saw yesterday - fabulous to see them and hope to see them again. Would be wonderful if I could get a photo - the adult was very inquisitive and came right up to the boat to inspect us - so very close, I could see it really well.
7:20pm Just finished a long radio session - starting with US contacts and finishing with a lot of Aussie contacts - thanks to all! Nice to chat to so many familiar people. Now having some food (Australian prunes for dessert!) and getting to sleep - I must finish re-packing the JSD (series drogue) first thing in the morning. Spent quite a time before sunset and into twilight, for as long as I could see clearly, sorting out which bits need to be put where and making sure that, when packed away, it will be free to run properly when deployed. Conditions are expected to be relatively calm again tomorrow, like today, but perhaps with slightly increased wind. Still plenty of other jobs to get done while they're possible in the lighter conditions.
Must change my local time into Eastern Australia time, GMT+10hr. Means a two-hour jump from my present Western Australia time (Perth etc) but will feel more in line with sunset and sunrise hereabouts. Just passed E of 130E and the marker for GMT+9hr was passed at 127* 30'E. Central Australia time (Adelaide etc) is GMT+9.5hr - but I don't want to get involved with the thirty minutes...too confusing! I'll change from tonight - after posting this report.
I just noticed the wind display has decided to work again....! (It stopped a short while later - clearly a bad connection somewhere - in item at mast top, I believe) We just changed course onto due E - we'll be sailing along 40S until the storm system has passed by - late Friday, perhaps - before turning to head SE towards the SE Cape of Tasmania.
3am Tues LT (1900GMT Mon) Bright moon, shining hazily through thin overcat - no stars visible. Feeling relatively calm still - gentle rolling around in 3.5m/12ft swell. Preparing this report, and weather/position report posted to winlink, and then back to bunk for short sleep before dawn.
1900GMT (= 3 a.m. LT) - end of Day 201. We made 91 n.ml. DMG, over the 24 hr period, measured in a straight line between the two 1900 GMT positions.
Total distance covered from Victoria, B.C., to end of Day 201 (by daily DMGs):17,729 n.ml.
Distances (at 1900GMT): Cape Leeuwin LH (SW Australia): 839 n.ml. to WNW; Melbourne (VIC, Aus): 629 n.ml. to ENE; SE Cape,Tasmania,LH: 731 n.ml. to SE; SW Cape, NZ: 1617 n.ml SE.
(700 n.ml. SE of Albany in W.Australia, 465 n.ml. SW of Adelaide, S.Australia)
Position & weather report for 1900 GMT posted to www.Winlink.org and www.Shiptrak.org (using my US callsign KC2IOV):
TIME: 2019/04/22 19:00GMT LATITUDE: 40-01.64S LONGITUDE: 131-13.31E
COURSE: 093T SPEED: 4.3kt
WIND_SPEED: 15kt WIND_DIR: WNW SWELL_DIR: WNW SWELL_HT: 3.5m CLOUDS: 100%
BARO: 1022.3hPa TREND: 0 AIR_TEMP: 16.0C SEA_TEMP: 15.0C
COMMENT: Pleasant conditions - not too rolly. Bright moon thro' thin,hazy overcast