Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Day 2: Weather

Time: 0130UTC
Position: 51.05.85N / 045.02.37W
COG/SOG: 60 degrees / 6.5-7.5 kn
Trip: 395nm
Distance to go (DTG): 1140nm
Underway: 62 hours
24h distance: 168nm (!)
Conditions: SSE winds at 15-20 kn. Fog and rain. No moon. Cabin 20 degrees, outside 11 degrees. Moderate seas (2 m)
Sails: full main and genoa + cutter
Bombing along at an average of 7 knots on relatively flat seas has been pleasing us for the last 24 hours. This fact compensates more than a little for the additional distance that we have decided to sail. Our current course is taking us East of our rhumb line and out of our way an expected 120 nautical miles. Our hope is that this Easting will help us to keep some stronger Northerly winds off of our nose later in the passage. Our weather sources are varied at the moment. We tried to keep in touch with Canadian weather guru Herb Hilgenberg, but unfortunately have not been able to contact him for a couple of days due to SSB propagation. Prior to our departure and underway we have had some tremendous help from a local Newfoundland meteorologist named Duncan Finlayson. He is a fellow sailor and has even sailed to Greenland in light seas without any water on deck. We have also consulted a commercial weather router for the first time named Commander's Weather. This information, coupled with our own downloaded weather faxes, grib files and written reports will hopefully keep us is favourable conditions.
The sphere on board remains positive and relaxed. Both of the monkeys are becoming highly skilled artists, we read a lot of books, Seb cooked a delicious nasi with peanut sauce for lunch and we danced around and did some silly exercises. All in all rather a nice day.
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