Thursday 29 March 2018
Continuing to be a pleasant sail - still making a fair speed, despite winds having become lighter overnight and today, but the wind has also been slowly veering - it's more 'abaft the beam' now, making for a lot less speed than when it's further forward as it was yesterday.. Seas have lain down a lot also so, which has made for smoother sailing, to the delight of my crew mates.
Near midday, we spotted Isla Socorro well off to starboard - a low conical mountain in the distant haze. It's a popular dive spot, needing a permit to dive in its protected waters, normally three days away from the coast. We've made very good time to get here over half a day early.
One red-footed (?) booby came by earlier, but otherwise no life has been seen - maybe nearer Socorro there would be lots but we're passing a good twenty miles off.
I was told there's a 'ham' on the island just now (call: 4B4B?) but I couldn't raise him on 7150kHz overnight. I'll try again soon - I must have a good ground-wave to him at present! Major problem on board is power which is limiting my radio time badly.
'Epiphany' has neither wind-steering nor a wind generator and is running the autopilot constantly in addition to a freezer/cold box and a fridge so the solar panels are just about making up battery power by mid-afternoon but only so long as I hardly use the radio - downloading weather/grib files and sending once-daily position reports only!
7.30pm - sunset - wind has really died - 6-8 kt - we're ost on a run, just about making way at 2.5 kt!