Saturday 21st August 2010 0000hrs 25 deg 42 min E, 162 deg 37 min E
Which way to go?? Hard to know. We want to go to Sydney but the SW wind (light breeze) means that we cannot get anywhere near or track at the moment. There are compensations though. Chimere must have been travelling at the right speed and there was Tuna for lunch (sashimi style for the aficionados and pan fried for the rest). Delicious! You guessed it – from the hands of Chef Rhod, caught Bob & filleted Carl. As for Tony and Rim, somebody had to get ready to eat
Yesterday’s run (Friday) was 127nm in a straight line to Sydney and this morning looked promising with the engine off and 7 knots through the water. I guess tuna and fair winds at the same time are too much to expect so we must rely on Mr Perkins. The up side is that no wet weather clothing has been needed yet. Today it looked as though we might need to, but Bob’s rain coat together with the 2 emergency umbrellas strapped to the cockpit rail seem to have scared the clouds away.
Good luck with your elections.
Tony O
2000hrs 27 00′ S 161 21′ E
Been a strange sort of a day today. It started out this morning as a cruiser’s dream – sunshine, smooth sea, wind clocked around to the Nth East, mainsail and poled out Genoa (“goosewinged”) and 7 knts straight towards Sydney – just magic! Ever so slowly, the wind continued to clock around to the North, then Nth West (still very pleasant), until an evil looking cloud band appeared on the horizon ahead. The air temperature dropped, wind came from the South, not particularly strong, but since around 15:00 hrs, very fickle, from Sth East then Sth West, back & forth, making it somewhat frustrating trying to decide whether to head for Australia or Antictarca!
Currently heading towards Lord Howe Is (motor sailing under Mainsail, Staysail & No 2 Genoa). The next couple of days are forecast to be a steady improvement, promising an increase to 20 knots out of the North – here’s hoping!
Just finished dinner – same tuna as lunch, though beautifully prepared & served by Rhod with home made chipped potato & veges, followed by jelly & custard and finished off with an Irish coffee. How good is that!!
Now 20:30, (my bed time)
Fair winds & smooth sailing.
Bob B.