There are good ships and wood ships
And ships that sail the seas
But the best ships are the friendships
And may they ever be...

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Day 8

Date: 08/21
Noon to noon run: 80NM (Course Made Good) Actual Miles Sailed: 120
Time of position: 18:00
Lat/Lon: 35 56.68'N deg 157 deg 30.34'W
Course:
Current Speed:
Next Waypoint: Temporary Waypoint at: 38 14N; 150 00W
                    384NM distance

Synopsis: Our winds yesterday were east of north so we were making a heading of about 340M (degrees magnetic) on a starboard tack close hauled in light air. Unfortunately, we kept getting headed as night came on and progressed.

About midnight we tacked to port after over an hour of making a heading of only about 280M. Upoon tacking, we were making 030M but the winds grew lighter and more fluky, and by 6AM we were heading 080M in 3kt of breeze. With that we started the engine and were able to get to about 030M which we kept until noon when I received an email from my weather guru friend, Simon. After reviewing all the info in his email, we cracked off and headed about 055 toward a new temporary waypoint we established as noted above.

We are now back in about 12Kt of wind (while according to the grib files it should be about 6Kt) and going into night we again have a double reef in the main and furled genoa to 100% and can only hold about 60 degrees to the wind without pounding as the swell and wave have increased as well. This means ultimately give us a course over ground (COG) of about 80 degrees with leeway. So, we continue to claw our way north.

Cheers, John

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