Wednesday 22nd February 2012
Hardly a cloud in the sky from mid-morning on... but wind still NNW, at 14-20 knots, most of the day, so on port tack and close-hauled, beating into swell and wind-chop - not as comfortable as it could be. The wind is slowly veering, so our course will change more to the East, possibly to ESE, with it - we're in wind-vane mode just now, keeping our angle to the wind constant, so we`ll follow the wind as it veers.
Been carefully looking at weather charts - gribs and faxes - trying to see which way to head for the best ... Ex-TC Giovanna might be gone but the other remnant of a TS to our N and the deep Low to our SW are still objects of concern - looks as though we'll be within 200 miles or so of both of them on Friday when the cold front of the Low will also pass over us with possibly very strong winds. Until then, things look fairly calm and easy, with just Friday`s strong weather to worry about ...
Managed a couple of long, slow radio connections, to catch up with emails and weather info - not easy due to our distance from land and the shore radio stations.
Was upset to hear that my daily log reports since Day One might not have been arriving on my website each day as they ought to have done... the problem might lie with those posted via Sailmail not being accepted - a lot of time & effort wasted, if that's the case... I re-posted Tuesday's report, just in case, while I had a Winlink connection - using a station on the far West of Java, near the Sunda Strait!
Enjoyed the sunset tonight, with Venus and Jupiter so very bright in a clear sky not far above the horizon. I nearly missed seeing it, being busy on the wet foredeck retrieving a loose pole downhaul end and yet another stanchion-base line-lead which had lost a nut and bolt and so come adrift... Later, I got rid of some water which had appeared in the engine compartment - from a leaking propshaft seal, I wondered. Needs keeping an eye on and checking out.
It`s been nice to have had emails from people I know from when I sailed this way last time, looking forward to making radio contact as I get closer to Australia and New Zealand.
DMG: 157 n.ml. - helped by a strong SE-flowing current from Indian Ocean (sea temp is 20C!) over much of the time and good wind.