Day 236 Sun-Mon 26-27 May 2019
8:30am Wind has increased and backed from around dawn - now more from NNW and must be around 15kt so we're making more of a NE course at around 4.5-5kt.
11:30am Been busy with breakfast, sail trim (wind has backed a lot, so now heading N on broad reach), filling a lot of water bottles (kept beside chart table), washing up in galley - using start-up water from water-maker for that - very, very slightly salty so almost like fresh - I can't taste the difference. Starting on instruments - seeing if they're of any use - hoping they might power up one by one...
Cape petrels flying around, as usual... Feeling very chilly, but sun is getting out occasionally, after a very grey cloudy start to the day. Can see coast in far distance - hills green and brown in sunlight.
Midday Wind has backed a lot more - to SW - so now heading N at around 4kt - we were faster before, but wind has died down again - to 10kt, I think. Sun has disappeared - feeling cold.
2pm Genoa furled away - wind has totally died away... Drifting while I work... Rockin' and rollin' in the slight swell. Time for a hot cup of soup to warm the insides...
Cleaned the generator control panel PCB very gently - had been sounding as though it was shorting somewhere - not happy to hear that... Hope it's OK and salt hasn't got onto a vital connection.
Sunset A little wind came up - but was up and down and swinging around -impossible to make way where I wanted to go. Suddenly, I realised that with the mainsail now up, I could heave to - so we're now hove-to .. but wind has died again.
Have been trying to get the plotter problem sorted out today... No fuse blown on course computer and power seems to be getting to end of power cable into plotter - but neither screen is lighting up. Had brought the cockpit display down to connect, expecting it to work - so far, it hasn't - disappointing.
Has been nice to see the wind generator keeping up with autopilot needs - and voltage staying up well.
A pair of Cape petrels and an albatross were circling around this afternoon - when suddenly a fast-moving sealion appeared - there must have been plenty of fish right by us, judging from their behaviour. The coast is 20 miles away now and we're just over 20 n.ml. to NE of Dunedin.
6:30pm Heaved to in light wind - now have mainsail hoisted to make it possible. Drifting NNW at 0.5kt.
Still working on plotter, wiring etc.
Spoke to NZ Customs about possibly anchoring or picking up a buoy while doing repairs - possibly expecting some very strong wind and seas in a few days' time and still have several urgent repairs to do..
Tuesday 5am Could hear the wind and its direction seemed good for heading NE, so got underway on port tack but wind actually not very strong. We're headed ENE at just 2kt, having to sail close to the wind, so not very fast ... Had hoped for better course and speed.
8am Generator on, watermaker running and updates being done - still sailing ENE, although trying to head NNE - wind direction not helpful.
Albatross and Cape Petrel resting in the water beside the boat as I adjusted sails before - perfect camera shot - but no camera to hand just then ... :-(
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While sailing around the world, I'm trying to raise funds to help support the superb life-saving work done by the RNLI (Lifeboats) in Britain each and every day of the year, regardless how bad the weather. In fact, the worse it is, the more likely they are out there, helping someone in distress - whether a swimmer, surfer, small boat or big ship, night or day, summer or winter. They are all volunteers with normal day-jobs who respond immediately to a call and it is a charity - no government funding - so they rely on our help to fund their intensive training and maintain their equipment.
It would be great if you would take a moment to click on the Lifeboats link here (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jeanne-Socrates2), if you'd like to show your support for my efforts at sailing solo, nonstop, unassisted around the globe, trying to set a World Record as the oldest person to do so, by donating something towards the great work the RNLI do every day. If a lot of people put in even a small amount, it all adds up... Thanks a lot! If you can help, it will be very much appreciated. Let's see if we can reach my target!
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1900GMT (= 7 a.m. NZT, 12 hrs on) - end of Day 236. We made very little distance again, over the 24hr period, since mainly drifting around, NE of Dunedin, in light wind, getting work done.
Total distance covered from Victoria, B.C., to end of Day 236 (by daily DMGs): 19,963 n.ml. up to last distance calculation (on Day 233) + an unknown amount - but not much!
Position & weather report for 2000 GMT, posted to www.Winlink.org and www.Shiptrak.org (using my US callsign KC2IOV):
TIME: 2019/05/27 20:00GMT LATITUDE: 45-24.85S LONGITUDE: 171-25.21E
COURSE: 070T SPEED: 2.0kt
WIND_SPEED: 12kt WIND_DIR: NNW SWELL_DIR: NW SWELL_HT: 1.5m CLOUDS: 95%
BARO: 994.5hPa TREND: -2 AIR_TEMP: 13.0C SEA_TEMP: 14.0C
COMMENT: Getting repairs done following knockdown - still lots to do.