43:35.6N 022:33.3W Midday (BST) Fix 7 June 2010 Three Reefs In A Sail (oh and a storm jib!)
Oboe D'Amore's Web Diary
Nigel Backwith
Mon 7 Jun 2010 12:27
2010
View our progress on Google Earth at: http://blog.mailasail.com/oboe
GPS Position: 43:35.6N 022:33.3W
Sea Miles (previous 24 Hours): 160nMs
Sea Miles to date: 3,588nMs
Present Course Over Ground: 027°M
Present Boat Speed 5.8kts
Average Boat Speed (previous 24 hours): 6.7kts
Average Boat Speed to date: 6.5kts
Estimated GPS Position in 24 hours time: 43°:52'N 021°:57'W
Sea State: Rough and confused
Wind Speed and Direction: 22kts W
Barometric Pressure: 1015mB
Wind prediction models are now so refined that they are seldom wrong in
either strength or direction. So if you know how, it is very easy to
download wind maps, known as "gribs" and display them on the chart table
laptop. Less available are predictions of sea state. It is therefore
entirely possible for a 20kt wind, combined with a smooth sea and a sunny
day, to deliver fast, enjoyable sailing, (more tea Vicar?). Equally, with a
rough confused sea, swells moving across the boat and cold wet rain, a 20kt
wind can and does deliver misery! Rock and roll, pitch and yaw. Where's my
stomach? Out the door!
I provide you with this brief tale of woe to explain why we have had a
miserable night. It wasn't helped by the fact that our internet connection
was down for "routine maintenance" all day Sunday, requiring us to work off
old grib files.
So you find a mildly disheartened crew Monday morning. Hasn't it always
been the same, though? Monday mornings, Monday mornings! I feel a Top
Ramen moment fast approaching, despite a craving for a wee dram o' Whisky!
So here we are, 1,000nMs from Dartmouth, facing typically rough and high
North Atlantic seas, all the way home. Great! One hand for the boat and
one hand for everything else. "Aren't you dressed yet Skipper?" "Give me a
break, I only managed to get out of my bunk 1/2 hour ago!" "Uggh.. wet
boots...
Nigel
Date: 7 June 2010