Tuesday 4:30am Still hove-to in WSW 16kt wind. Awoke to an alarm, to try to make contact with Uku via Ian, VK3MO, who was due to read Uku his NOAA weather report for the S. Atlantic at that time. Heard Ian reading out the weather, but not sure if Uku was on frequency. Heard Bob, VP8LP talking to Mark, but unreadable - too light a signal...
Checked emails and gribs. Had message from Peter, ZL1PWM, that would be good to get underway now and head N as fast as possible to get clear of Low following on behind present big Low system - now safely heading E-SE out of our path but almost certain to cause Uku a big problem still, with 50kt winds, gusting higher, very likely on his present path. Hope he gets through OK - another bad experience for him.
Got underway as soon as possible, after shaking out reefs, and enjoyed a good sail for several hours in WSW wind up to 20kt
Realised yesterday that we're into a new time zone. Having passed East of 52 30'W, we're now in Greenland time = Z-3hr = Falklands time (they keep perpetual 'summertime' all year round) and Buenos Aires summertime.
Getting closer to the Greenwich Meridian and GMT ...
Also, Magnetic variation is now 7 degrees W - so need to subtract 7 degrees now from compass readings to get True readings. ("East is least, West is best", I was taught, to help remember when looking at the compass readings)
11:30 am Enjoying the sunshine as we sail smoothly in lessening seas ... and also, unfortunately, lessening wind - now W-WSW at 12kt, down from the WSW 15kt of a couple of hours ago and forecast to get even lighter by this evening and into tomorrow.
Bonus is ....coffeepot is on again!
2pm Struggling to keep on going and on course in 5-7kt of wind under a bright blue sky - such a different scene from the grey sky and mountainous seas in the frequently stormy weather this same area must see....
A small flock of prions is busy nearby, and one or two(?) Great Shearwaters seem to have adopted us - have frequently seen one circling around for the last few days. As I came up on deck to start getting us underway this morning, a Wandering albatross came by - such huge but graceful birds!
Busy making some more split pea soup, in between adjusting Fred as the wind varies. Also plan to make another beef and spinach curry - the last one was excellent. Adding potato, surprisingly, to my mind, works well also.
4pm We're drifting in 3-4kt of highly variable wind, making 1.2 kt NE under a very cloudy sky.
Debating the genoa hoist possibility. Would be nice to have the use of it but still feel very trepidatious about starting on that - it's a long job with several possible pitfalls and, once started, needs to be completed all in one go...
1900GMT (=1600LT) - end of Day 91. We made 52 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 91 (by daily DMGs): 8,871 n.ml.
Distances (at 1900Z): Cape Horn LH: 847 n.ml. to SW; Falklands: 423 n.ml. to SW; Buenos Aires: 825 n.ml to NNW Cape Agulhas (SA): 3143 n.ml. to NE
Position & weather report for 1900 GMT posted to Winlink.org and Shiptrak.org (using my US callsign KC2IOV):
TIME: 2019/01/02 19:00GMT LATITUDE: 46-45.36S LONGITUDE: 049-46.64W COURSE: 030T SPEED: 1.3kt
WIND_SPEED: 3kt SWELL_DIR: W SWELL_HT: 3.0m CLOUDS: 80%
BARO: 1006.9hPa TREND: -2 AIR_TEMP: 16.0C SEA_TEMP: 15.0C
COMMENT: Drifting in 3-4kt variable wind....
