Monday 28th January, 2013
A pleasant sunny day with occasional light showers and mainly almost dead downwind sailing in quite big following seas and wind from W-WNW at 15-20 kt (F5!)
Had no copy whatsoever on the Patgonia Net at 1200GMT (11am local time) .
Fiinally spotted a Spectacled petrel flying around earlier today. Have been waiting to see one near here, since they are endemic to Tristan da Cunha and nearby islands - only seen in S. Atlantic not far from their breeding grounds. Also a brown skua - big, dark brown bird with white markings on its upper wings (looked as though it was thinking of landing on the solar panels!) A sure sign that we were close to Gough Island where they prey on the albatross, petrels and many other breeding birds there and on the nearby islands in the Tristan da Cunha group. Also around were the pairs of Atlantic petrels, Antarctic prions and Great shearwaters that seem to have been staying close by recently. (Prions are also known as 'whalebirds')
24hr DMG at 10pm local time (2300GMT ): 142 n.ml. Gough Island: 136 n.ml. (030T) - 221 n.ml. SSE of Tristan da Cunha (318 n.ml.away from 'Nereida' now), uninhabited except for group of 7 scientists on 6-monthly posting for research (U.K. possession, leased to S.Africa). Cape Agulhas (southernmost Cape of Africa): 1533 n.ml.
.................................................................................
For my positions, see:
www.svnereida.com - 'Travels' - "Where is 'Nereida'?"
http://www.exactearth.com/media-centre/recent-ship-tracks/tracking-nereida/