28:10.1N 062:59.2W Midday Fix 14 May 2010 Bermuda Here We Come
Oboe D'Amore's Web Diary
Nigel Backwith
Fri 14 May 2010 13:05
2010
View our progress on Google Earth at: http://blog.mailasail.com/oboe
GPS Position: 28:10.1N 062:59.2W
Sea Miles (previous 24 Hours): 162nMs
Sea Miles to date: 741nMs
Present Course Over Ground: 3352°M
Present Boat Speed 6.3kts
Average Boat Speed (previous 24 hours): 6.8kts
Average Boat Speed to date: 6.4kts
***Velocity Made Good (VMG) to date: 5.6kts ***
Estimated GPS Position in 24 hours time: 30:23N 064:08W
Sea State: Mill Pond
Wind Speed and Direction: 3kts N
Barometric Pressure: 1012mB
(VMG - An accurate measure of the average velocity achieved to date along
our chosen rhumb line from Antigua to Dartmouth, UK)
All's well. We have left the trade winds behind us and emerged into a
windless zone 250 nMs (nautical miles) south of Bermuda. I think I am right
in saying that this area is part of the "Horse Latitudes" and stretches a
long way east. We need to get north of it to find the west winds that will
take us home. In days gone by, square riggers with no engine power would
get stuck in the horse latitudes and running short of food, would throw
their horses overboard rather than see them starve or would slaughter them
for food for the crew! Fortunately we have an engine and with no Frenchmen
on board, have no taste for horse meat!
The weather forecast is for little or no wind until north of Bermuda, by
which time we will have burned over half our diesel stocks. So, an
unscheduled landfall in Bermuda will be made to refuel and perhaps to stock
up on one or two fresh food items. A "Full English" breakfast on Bermuda
also has its attractions of course! I guess this will add an extra day to
our journey time but having been conservative on our likely progress we will
probably claw this back over the coming days.
Given the mill pond conditions, watches have been reduced to one person to
allow the crew to catch up on much needed sleep. Maggie is on early morning
watch, doing strenuous exercise on the aft deck, putting the rest of us
"fatties" to shame. I am nursing a stiff back and everyone else is tucked
up in their bunks. Breakfast beckons ...
Nigel
Date: 14 May 2010