Friday 10th May 2013
1pm Sitting with coffee getting postion/weather report ready for sending and having had a good detailed look over paper charts for passage on to Equator and N.Pacific. Found a lot of detailed charts I'd forgotten I had - always good! So pleased to have them - charts for present area covering Phoenix Group (in Kiribati), which is ahead, clearly show a Reef (Carondelet) with 'rock awash' very close to my present path not visible on electronic charts until zoomed right in to on top of it.... could be very nasty!! Nearest hazard seems to be Gardner Island / Nikumaroro (a typical S.Pacific atoll) - 392ml away at 2300GMT (Mon/Tues), but that assumes present course is maintained - not a certainty.
Was pleased to find wind had veered into SE early this morning - so we're making some Easting on a good course for the time being, although speed is varying a lot: 3-4.5kt. With no hazards close ahead, this is an ideal time to be under wind steering - making the most of the wind, despite its variation in direction. Weather forecasts seem to be showing that we'll keep some wind, albeit light at times, right up to and across the Equator, although we might be forced to sail NNW again at times - but at least we'll be able to keep heading N and SPCZ is definitely astern now.
3pm Just passing under a wide area of light grey raincloud, stretching across sky from W to E- boat speed was increased to 5.5kt with greater wind on the approach and has now dropped to under 1kt with frequent light rain - nothing too dramatic, but difficult to keep course now with such light wind. Wind has backed a lot - course now 310T instead of 030T,as before. Typical conditions for the far side of a raincloud. No distance records being broken again today...
5.30pm Nearing sunset - dramatic towering, anvil-shaped clouds in the distance, catching the rosy glow... We're ambling along again at around 3kt in fairly calm seas - it's been a very pleasant day.
Evening - took meal (Cumbrian Lamb Hotpot with peas) to cockpit to enjoy in the refreshingly cool night air - with brilliant stars above, as we coasted along at just over 4 knots - lovely!
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Tragic Americas Cup news today - unbelievable... My deepest sympathy and condolences to family and friends.
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D.M.G. over 24hr to Fri 10th May 2300 GMT : 56 n.ml. - reflecting time spent making just 1-2 kt yesterday afternoon/evening. Sydney: 2194 n.ml. (224T); New Zealand's North Cape: 1562 n.ml. (195T); Vanua Levu (Fiji): 404 n.ml. (187T); W. Samoa:444 n.ml. (124T).
Distance to Strait of Juan de Fuca entrance: 4500 n.ml.
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For my positions and track, see:
www.svnereida.com - 'Travels' - "Where is 'Nereida'?"
and/or:
http://www.exactearth.com/media-centre/recent-ship-tracks/tracking-nereida/