Wednesday 26th June 2013
Continuing to have to keep a constant eye on our COG (course) in very light wind.
Not much sleep overnight, very tiring, sitting at the chart table using autopilot just long enough to turn the wheel occasionally to bring us back onto a SE course as we drift in SW wind of under 5 kt. Sea surface is glassy smooth with slight ripples and a long SW swell. Useful having boat’s track and current course (COG) showing on the chart plotter display. With so little wind, there’s almost no steerage, so it’s taking a lot of time and effort to keep us on track – and all at well under 2 kt, often under 1 kt.
Plan has been to keep heading SE, both to stay in SW airflow below present centre of the Low that we’re in the middle of and also to be ready for expected S – SSE airflow – Low is forecast to move slightly W of us over the next few days.
Sun was beginning to get through clouds nicely mid-morning, but there was total light overcast by early afternoon, becoming grey clouds with light rain later.
3 pm saw the start of a lengthy radio email session, followed by several further contacts.
10 pm Unbelievably found shackle-pin lying on side-deck. Had just lowered pole prior to stowing it. Soon discovered that the uphaul line attaching the mast car to the inboard end of the pole had come loose. The shackle there had become undone and was presumably missing. It was a bit of a struggle to stow the pole on the mast without the line there to pull it up but I finally managed it. Took the headsails over to starboard with the change of wind direction, but the wind died and the sails were flapping, so finally had to furl in both headsails – we’re presently drifting W (backwards!) at 0.1 kt ....
We continued to drift overnight in no wind.
24hr DMG to 2300GMT: 26n.ml. Strait of Juan de Fuca: 625n.ml. (085T); Victoria: 684n.ml.
From: KC2IOV/MM by HF radio. Transcribed by Rick, VE7TK, Victoria, BC via Ham Radio for posting
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http://www.7163net.com Current Position Reported by Ham Radio with Google Earth Tracking