Thursday 23rd February 2012
1430GMT/6.30pm LT - Enjoying a cup of coffee with a chocolate brownie while I make a fresh stew ready for the bad weather probably coming up overnight and into tomorrow, as the Cold Front from a deep depression further S swings by us. It's expected to pass over with an abrupt wind change - backing from N-NNE to W-SW in what could well be a very short time - it's happened within moments before now, so I'm always half-expecting that - not very pleasant, if that does occur!
The pressure is expected to drop way down, to well below 1000 hPa, with strong winds both ahead of the front as well as behind it - so I might just decide to heave to and let it all pass over while I relax - not sure of the timing exactly, although it will possibly be mid-morning tomorrow... Soon after the front passes, there's expected to be a big swell - right into Sunday and on overnight into Monday.
The wind has been around 15knots all day, shifting from N overnight to NNE to ENE for a short spell and now it's back at NNE. We're still in wind-vane mode so as the wind shifts, we simply follow it around - makes life much simpler! Our course presently is just S of E and we're making around 5 knots - the current is cutting our speed down just now. For the next few days, the best course to take would seem to be due E.
Better go and see to my stew - so far it's got onions, potatoes, tomatoes, sweetcorn, peas, red peppers, and ham - should be good!
1500GMT/7pm LT - sunset - but nothing to see through the murky clouds.... No Venus or Jupiter today. It's just getting duller and darker... Swell is not too bad so far - it's from NE at around 3m on our port bow - slightly bumpy, but OK.
Time to see if Cape Naval's latest weatherfax is being transmitted - so far today they've managed zero out of three transmissions! When they come, they're very useful but all I've had so far has been the carrier signal and nothing else (and nothing happening now, so far... 20 minutes past the start time ... useful!).
Today's 24hr DMG: 122 .ml. Present position: 41S, 060E Wind getting up to 20+ knots... Pressure 1012 hPa.