December 2, 2018

Day 59

Noon Position: 51 57S  56 08W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): ENE+ 7+

Wind(t/tws): NWxW 20 – 25

Sea(t/ft): NW 5

Sky: Some cirrus; otherwise clear

10ths Cloud Cover: 2

Bar(mb): 1014, steady

Cabin Temp(f): 59

Water Temp(f): 43

Relative Humidity(%): 79

Sail: Working jib and main, three reefs each, close reach.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 179

Miles since departure: 7947

Avg. Miles/Day: 135

What mileage! Either I, in my sleep, have become a much better sailor, or we are riding a hefty NE current. I’m not pushing Mo nearly hard enough to warrant a straight 7.5 knots ...

December 1, 2018

Day 58

Noon Position: 53 27S 60 24W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): NExE 7

Wind(t/tws): WxN 15 – 16

Sea(t/ft): SW 2 and 12 (big old swell; we almost surf)

Sky: A front to windward and to lee ward; clear here.

10ths Cloud Cover: 1

Bar(mb): 1014, steady

Cabin Temp(f): 59

Water Temp(f): 43

Relative Humidity(%): 67

Sail: Big genoa and main, full. Reaching.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 122

Miles since departure: 7768

Avg. Miles/Day: 134

I keep referring in these logs to the Figure 8 Voyage 1.0, the first Figure 8 attempt, as what happened “last year.” In ...

November 30, 2018

Day 57

Noon Position: 54 36S 63 15W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): NExN 6

Wind(t/tws): SWxS 17 – 23

Sea(t/ft): SW 8 – 10, very steep; wind-over-current seas. Nearly pooped.

Sky: Alternating between squall and clear.

10ths Cloud Cover: 9

Bar(mb): 1008, rising

Cabin Temp(f): 52

Water Temp(f): 40, back down from yesterday’s 45

Relative Humidity(%): 69

Sail: Twins poled out.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 174 (Favoring current.)

Miles since departure: 7645

Avg. Miles/Day: 134

What can one say about Cape Horn, except that he is happy to have rounded it safely and in such fine weather. Apart from ...

November 28, 2018

Day 55

Noon Position: 55 54S  71 58W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): E 7+

Wind(t/tws): NWxN 27 – 31

Sea(t/ft): NW 10; very steep and breaking

Sky: Overcast, low gray deck

10ths Cloud Cover: 10

Bar(mb): 1007+, falling

Cabin Temp(f): 54

Water Temp(f): 40

Relative Humidity(%): 71

Sail: #2 working genoa, two reefs, broad reach

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 172

Miles since departure: 7329

Avg. Miles/Day: 133

All morning I study the seas from the the pilot house. They are northwest, as is the wind we are taking on the beam, not too high, but steep as walls and ...

Broken Wing and Positioning for Cape Horn

November 27, 2018

Day 54

Noon Position: 56 01S  77 05W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): ExN 7+

Wind(t/tws): WNW 25 – 27

Sea(t/ft): NW 8 – 10

Sky: Overcast with drizzle

10ths Cloud Cover: 10

Bar(mb): 1012, steady

Cabin Temp(f): 52

Water Temp(f): 40

Relative Humidity(%): 74

Sail: #2 poled to windward; #1 free flying to starboard.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 160

Miles since departure: 7157

Avg. Miles/Day: 133

One cannot call these anything but excellent, simply excellent sailing conditions. Winds W, WxN, WNW at 20 – 30, day after day. And Mo churning out ...

November 26, 2018

Day 53

Noon Position: 55 35S  81 46W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): ExS 7

Wind(t/tws): W 20+

Sea(t/ft): W 10

Sky: Clear

10ths Cloud Cover: 0

Bar(mb): 1011+, rising

Cabin Temp(f): 57

Water Temp(f): 40

Relative Humidity(%): 65

Sail: Twins poled out, two rolls in each.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 168

Miles since departure: 6997

Avg. Miles/Day: 132

One gets to see first hand during weeks like this why the Clipper Route was the most efficient route around the world for commercial shipping prior to steam and the Panama Canal.

Mo has had consistently strong westerlies since November 15th, ...

The Bone of Satisfaction

November 25, 2018

Day 52

Noon Position: 54 56S  86 34W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): ExS 7+

Wind(t/tws): WNW 25 – 30

Sea(t/ft): W  10

Sky: Total, slate gray cloud cover

10ths Cloud Cover: 10

Bar(mb): 1000

Cabin Temp(f): 52

Water Temp(f): 40

Relative Humidity(%): 79

Sail: Twin headsails, poled out; reefed by two thirds.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 160

Miles since departure: 6829

Avg. Miles/Day: 131

Wind finally eased overnight, and by morning was 25 – 30 from the WNW. Our four-day blow had ended. Seas too had eased. The grand, high swell had moved on, leaving ...

November 29, 2018

Day 56

Noon Position: 55 59S 67 44w

Course(t)/Speed(kts): E 7+

Wind(t/tws): W 15 – 25

Sea(t/ft): W 5

Sky: Overcast with rain and drizzle

10ths Cloud Cover: 10

Bar(mb): 998, rising slowly

Cabin Temp(f): 55

Water Temp(f): 45 (warmer. hmm.)

Relative Humidity(%): 69

Sail: Twin headsails poled out; three reefs in each.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 142 (light wind overnight as we moved between weather systems)

Miles since departure: 7471

Avg. Miles/Day: 56

EDITOR’S NOTE:

We jumping this post to the head of the line because we’ve just receive a few photos of Randall’s rounding ...

November 24, 2018

Day 51

Noon Position: 53 51S  89 52W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): SExE 6

Wind(t/tws): WNW 33 – 39

Sea(t/ft): W 20

Sky: Light cumulus

10ths Cloud Cover: 5

Bar(mb): 989, steady

Cabin Temp(f): 54

Water Temp(f): 40

Relative Humidity(%): 77

Sail: Working genoa, four-reefed as usual.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 159

Miles since departure: 6669

Avg. Miles/Day: 131

Each morning the forecast calls for diminishing winds and each morning the sea spurns such a futile thing as a forecast.

Yesterday I said we had surfed but not fast and that seas were breaking but not with intent. Both ...

November 21, 2018

Day 48

Noon Position: 49 18S  100 42W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): SExE 6

Wind(t/tws): WxN 25 – 37

Sea(t/ft): W 14

Sky: Clear

10ths Cloud Cover: 0

Bar(mb): 999 slowly falling

Cabin Temp(f): 57

Water Temp(f): 43

Relative Humidity(%): 63

Sail: Tripple reefed working jib, broad reach tending toward a run.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 151

Miles since departure: 6201

Avg. Miles/Day: 129

I stood watch until 3am. By this I mean I sat and watched and napped and watched as Mo worked through the gale. The sails were set; the course decision made; Monte had the ...