For the past six hours we have been on a beam reach on the starboard tack, pretty much on course. During that period, we have averaged just under six knots. For the rest of the day we were moving pretty fast as well, but were headed quite a bit north of course. We have light yankee and double-reefed main up, and Rangval is just managing to keep us on course. If the wind gets stronger, we will have to change down to the staysail, set on the headstay.
The grib shows a weak low passing to the north of us but the barometer has been steady. I suspect that the stronger wind and its southerly direction is due to the low and its proximity to the high just to the south of us. After the low passes, the wind should veer to the west and get weaker. We are enjoying going fast right now, although it is a bit wet and cold.
At UTC 2200, July 30, 2012, we are at 47 15.505 N, 143 16.980 W. Our day's run was 128 miles, a new record for this voyage. We are now 758 miles from Neah Bay.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Noon Report -- Kauai - Neah Bay, Day 17
Another day trying to keep the boat moving and as close to the course as possible. Mostly grey, mostly cold, although not quite as cold as yesterday.
We are seeing a lot more cargo vessels. Every day there are four or five of them of which at least a couple come within five miles. We are very grateful for the AIS, which enables these vessels to be displayed on our Garmin 4212 chartplotter. The 4212 computes and continually recomputes the point of closest approach. Yesterday when a Korean container ship was going to come within three miles of us, I attempted to call the bridge with the VHF transceiver, using a feature called digital select calling (DSC) which makes VHF marine communications a bit more certain and more like the telephone. The call was not acknowledged, which is a bit troubling.
The last two days we have been seeing almost no debris. I wonder why we saw so much for the previous few days? Could we have been traversing one of those large circular eddies (gyres) that are said to collect junk?
At UTC 2200, July 29, 2012, we are at 46 02.649 N, 146 00.657 W. Our day's run was 99 miles. We are now 886 miles from Neah Bay.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
We are seeing a lot more cargo vessels. Every day there are four or five of them of which at least a couple come within five miles. We are very grateful for the AIS, which enables these vessels to be displayed on our Garmin 4212 chartplotter. The 4212 computes and continually recomputes the point of closest approach. Yesterday when a Korean container ship was going to come within three miles of us, I attempted to call the bridge with the VHF transceiver, using a feature called digital select calling (DSC) which makes VHF marine communications a bit more certain and more like the telephone. The call was not acknowledged, which is a bit troubling.
The last two days we have been seeing almost no debris. I wonder why we saw so much for the previous few days? Could we have been traversing one of those large circular eddies (gyres) that are said to collect junk?
At UTC 2200, July 29, 2012, we are at 46 02.649 N, 146 00.657 W. Our day's run was 99 miles. We are now 886 miles from Neah Bay.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Noon Report -- Kauai - Neah Bay, Day 16
We are on the home stretch now! Today we crossed 45 degrees north, which appears to me to be the northern extent of the high, most of the time. Now we are headed directly toward Cape Flattery. Today was also a special day in that we had the longest day's run so far in this passage and now we have less than 1000 miles to go. The weather was cold and miserable, however, with the exception of a couple of hours in the middle of the afternoon.
Early in the afternoon we sailed wing-on-wing, then the wind veered more to the north and we switched to close reaching on the port tack, single-reefed main and light yankee.
At UTC 2200, July 28, 2012, we are at 45 25.986 N, 148 12.793 W. Our day's run was 121 miles. We are 985 miles from Neah Bay.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Early in the afternoon we sailed wing-on-wing, then the wind veered more to the north and we switched to close reaching on the port tack, single-reefed main and light yankee.
At UTC 2200, July 28, 2012, we are at 45 25.986 N, 148 12.793 W. Our day's run was 121 miles. We are 985 miles from Neah Bay.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Friday, July 27, 2012
Noon Report -- Kauai - Neah Bay, Day 15
Small island? Tsunami debris? Dead whale? About half a mile off the port bow was something for sure, and it had attracted a large number of birds. It was low in the water and would disappear from time to time below the swell. The chart showed no island, no submerged mountain top. Dead whale became the favored theory because of the coloring. As we sailed into its lee, we knew for sure, because we could smell it. Definitely a dead whale. People talk all the time about the risk of sailing into tsunami debris but what about hitting that dead whale in the middle of the night? Even if it did not sink you, you would have to bear the odor for the rest of the voyage. Dead whales have always been with us, but I have never seen them mentioned in the press except when one washes up on someone's beach.
The three of us were enjoying a nice afternoon in the cockpit when we noticed a container ship about five miles off our port quarter. Then we heard someone calling the "sailing vessel near 44 north and 152 west" on VHF channel 16. I answered and it turned out to be a ship's officer named Curt who just wanted to chat. He recently purchased a 42' long cruising sailboat named Ocean Quest and is in the process of refitting it for extensive cruising. Curt wanted to know all about the way in which NS is equipped, and discussed what he has purchased for Ocean Quest and what he has in mind. He is retiring and will be cruising in the waters of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska where he was a tugboat captain before he moved on to cargo ships. I hope to see Curt and Ocean Quest down the road.
One of Curt's comments was music to my ears. He said that NS has a very strong radar profile and that he could see us from 18 miles away. I had always assumed that the two Davis radar reflectors mounted in the rigging 35' above the sea would provide a good radar return, but this was the first time that I had received positive verification, out here where a good radar presence really counts.
At UTC 2200, July 27, 2012, we are at 44 22.405 N, 150 37.894 W. Our Day's run was 98 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
The three of us were enjoying a nice afternoon in the cockpit when we noticed a container ship about five miles off our port quarter. Then we heard someone calling the "sailing vessel near 44 north and 152 west" on VHF channel 16. I answered and it turned out to be a ship's officer named Curt who just wanted to chat. He recently purchased a 42' long cruising sailboat named Ocean Quest and is in the process of refitting it for extensive cruising. Curt wanted to know all about the way in which NS is equipped, and discussed what he has purchased for Ocean Quest and what he has in mind. He is retiring and will be cruising in the waters of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska where he was a tugboat captain before he moved on to cargo ships. I hope to see Curt and Ocean Quest down the road.
One of Curt's comments was music to my ears. He said that NS has a very strong radar profile and that he could see us from 18 miles away. I had always assumed that the two Davis radar reflectors mounted in the rigging 35' above the sea would provide a good radar return, but this was the first time that I had received positive verification, out here where a good radar presence really counts.
At UTC 2200, July 27, 2012, we are at 44 22.405 N, 150 37.894 W. Our Day's run was 98 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Noon Report -- Kauai - Neah Bay, Day 14
Slow day, forereaching with full main and light yankee at about four knots throughout the afternoon and night. Mostly overcast and misty. We have definitely left the sunny tropics behind. By daybreak the wind had gone entirely. We tried to find a breeze for a couple of hours, then turned on the engine, since we needed to charge the batteries and make fresh water. After two hours, we saw wavelets forming and turned the engine off. We were able to find a breeze that gave us a knot at first. Amazingly, Rangval was able to follow it. After a couple of more hours, we are up to four knots. Hope it holds.
At UTC 2200, July 26, 2012, we are at 43 55.776 N, 152 48.436 W. Our day's run was 85 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
At UTC 2200, July 26, 2012, we are at 43 55.776 N, 152 48.436 W. Our day's run was 85 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Noon Report -- Kauai - Neah Bay, Day 13
Whales! Lots of them! Too close for comfort!
At dusk we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of a large pod of whales. For at least a quarter of an hour they surfaced and dived as near 100' from Norwegian Steam, often in pairs and in once instance five together. Never in Mexico did I see so many whales anywhere near as close to the boat. Jean, Jon and I stood on deck in awe and wonder. In my case, at least, there was a good admixture of dread. What if one of these leviathans damaged the boat? No repair facilities nearby. Every whale was larger than NS. You could hear them breathing, smell them. Unforgettable!
The next morning we saw two more. This time they were a comfortable quarter of a mile away. These were definitely the same breed. I think they were humpbacks but Jean is not so sure.
We noticed this morning that the sea water is quite a bit colder. We are going to need to dig out warmer clothing.
We ran all night wing-on-wing on the starboard jibe, full main with light yankee poled out. During the night, as expected, the wind continued to veer to the west and then to north of west. In the morning we deployed the port spinnaker pole and jibed around onto port.
At UTC 2200, July 25, 2012, we are at 43 36.993 N, 154 44.489 W. Our Day's run was 98 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
At dusk we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of a large pod of whales. For at least a quarter of an hour they surfaced and dived as near 100' from Norwegian Steam, often in pairs and in once instance five together. Never in Mexico did I see so many whales anywhere near as close to the boat. Jean, Jon and I stood on deck in awe and wonder. In my case, at least, there was a good admixture of dread. What if one of these leviathans damaged the boat? No repair facilities nearby. Every whale was larger than NS. You could hear them breathing, smell them. Unforgettable!
The next morning we saw two more. This time they were a comfortable quarter of a mile away. These were definitely the same breed. I think they were humpbacks but Jean is not so sure.
We noticed this morning that the sea water is quite a bit colder. We are going to need to dig out warmer clothing.
We ran all night wing-on-wing on the starboard jibe, full main with light yankee poled out. During the night, as expected, the wind continued to veer to the west and then to north of west. In the morning we deployed the port spinnaker pole and jibed around onto port.
At UTC 2200, July 25, 2012, we are at 43 36.993 N, 154 44.489 W. Our Day's run was 98 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Noon Report -- Kauai - Neah Bay, Day 12
The wind kept getting lighter and lighter during the night. At the same time, it was veering to the south, enabling us to run with wind astern without heading west. At six in the morning, at the end of my watch and the beginning of Jon's, the two of us raised the main, erected the starboard spinnaker pole, replaced the storm jib with the staysail, jibed the staysail around and poled it out. Still not enough sail area. We shook the reefs out of the main, then had breakfast. When Jean got up, we replaced the staysail with the light yankee and are currently running with full main and poled out yankee. With all the sail area that we can muster wing-on-wing, we are averaging about five knots.
We are now at about the half-way point, in terms of distance. We have reached the latitude of Cape Mendocino, that infamous point on the California coast which sees gale force winds whenever the high gets very close.
At UTC 2200, July 24, 2012, we are at 42 26.201 N, 156 16.035 W. Our day's run was 100 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
We are now at about the half-way point, in terms of distance. We have reached the latitude of Cape Mendocino, that infamous point on the California coast which sees gale force winds whenever the high gets very close.
At UTC 2200, July 24, 2012, we are at 42 26.201 N, 156 16.035 W. Our day's run was 100 miles.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)