News

Sunday August 15, 2004
Sailed all night with triple reefed main and staysail.
Did not make much headway, but the ride was more comfortable despite some uncontrollable violent rolling movements caused by irregular waves.
Early this morning I handed the staysail and unfurled the genoa and poled it out. Wind is down now, only making 4 knots on a broad reach. I will consider shaking out the reef in the main, but with dew on the deck, I expect the winds will pick up soon.
Our heading is a little off course but I have to make the best of the wind.
Hopefully the wind comes back soon and I can set a comfortable course for Rodriguez (a tiny island with 800,000 inhabitants 600 miles east of Mauritius) Hope they have a cold beer there so I can celebrate the Springboks win over the All Blacks !

Position
20-46 S
85-28 E
Cog 275
Sog 4 knots
Wind 7 knots
Wind from the SE
Still on a broad reach, port tack

Total daily run---130 miles

Saturday August 14, Afternoon
For the first time I am dressed in track pants, rugby jersey and a windbreaker.
The temperature has plunged rapidly the past two days.
I even had to light the stove to heat up the cabin.
The winds are down, but the seas are still very rough.
Will wait till daybreak tomorrow and see if I can put up more canvas.
I spent most of the day on my back on the berth reading Don Pinnock's "Natural Selections" for the second time.
I would occasionally pop my head out for a quick scan for traffic.
I straightened the sheets leading to the genoa on the furling system.
Mainsail has been triple reefed all day. Staysail is up.
Took some video footage of these nasty 20 foot swells.
Calculated my distance to Cape Town via Rodriquez from my present position. There is only 195 miles difference. I have decided to stop there for a day or two before taking on the boisterous seas towards Cape Town.

Saturday August 14, 2004
My worst night since leaving Darwin.
Squalls came knocking on the hull, with 33 knots of wind.
Tried to run with the wind, just to end up making unexpected jibes.
Thank goodness for my double boom preventer system.
I struggled to keep IT on any kind of course.
Squalls kept pushing us further south.
Two ships passed last night.
Genoa got stuck, squall winds caused it to overlap the roller furling system.
Will wait till daybreak and fix it.
Took a reef in the main.
Waiting on daylight.

Position
20-30 S
87-30 E
Cog 240
Sog 5
Wind 30 knots
Wind from the SE

Total run ---150 miles

Have since got everything under control again.
In for another squall .............

Friday August 13, 2004
Winds were inconsistent. I hoisted the spinnaker, but it soon wrapped itself around the furling system as the wind died.
As soon as I got it down, the wind picked up again!
Sailed all day on a run to a broad reach.
At nightfall, the wind strengthened and we were under mainsail all night long.

Position at 0800 hrs
20-18 S
90-05 E
Cog 290
Sog 6.5
Wind 15 knots
Wind from SE

On a broad reach to run, port tack.

Total daily run --- 140 miles

Thursday August 12, 2004
Sailed all day on a beam reach.
Seas were pretty rough. I took video footage from the bow and got soaked by a big banger.
The cockpit got pooped twice and 10 gallons found its way into the cabin.
I doubt if my annometer registers correctly.
These have probably been the worst seas so far.
I hit 8.5 knots with a triple reefed main and staysail.
At nightfall, the wind went down and shifted, now coming from the SE.

Position at 0800
20-19 S
92-21 E
cog 255
sog 5 kt
wind 15 kt
winds from the SE

Sailed on a broad reach, port tack

Total daily run---155 miles

Wednesday August 11, 2004
Daily run --120 miles

Drifted, motorsailed all day.

Thar she blows !
Saw my first whales, a whole school of them. When they blew out of those waterspouts it reminded me of Yellowstone National Park !
They were unfortunately too far to capture on video.

Late afternoon the wind picked up, and we sailed for an hour in light rain.
Wind down again.
Drifted until sundown, strong breeze.
Sailed all night, close hauled, full main and genoa, bearing 270 degrees.

This morning my body ached from the constant pounding all night as IT beat up against the wind.

Took a triple reef in the main and furled the genoa halfway up. Not much help.
Seas almost cooking because of the sw and se swells colliding.

Position at 0800
19-48 S
94-48 E
Cog 280
Sog 6.5 knots
Wind 25 knots
Wind from the SW
On a close reach, port tack

Tuesday August 10, 2004

With the wind down, I hauled out the spinnaker and soon had it flying.
At noon the wind dwindled until all sails were hanging down.
As my batteries read 11.2 volts, I motor-sailed for 4 hrs, charging the batteries .
Drifted all night.
At daylight we are still drifting and the seas look like the Pacific, the hills and the valleys.

Position at 0800
19-29 S
96-48 E
Cog 240
Sog 1.3 knots
Wind 0

Total daily run--65 miles

Monday, Laptop working.
Laptop was down most of the day.
Sailed all day and night on a broad reach.
Wind shifted at 0400 hrs, took a jibe.
At daylight wind was down to 6 knots.
Spent most of the time trying to get the laptop working.

Total daily run ---130 miles

Monday August 9, 2004
Received this message from Charl's satphone at 7:30pm Sunday Texas time.
Please pray that all is well.

LAPTOP DOWN - WORKING ON IT - 19-05S 98-00E

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