Sunday 5am Wind got up nicely with rain... We made good speed, over 6kt, for a time but wind has died down and backed, so we're now ambling along at just 4-4.5kt - sounds familiar...
Major problem with wi-fi reception from satphone connection means probably no photos possible with blog posts - maybe problem can be fixed but not sure. Will be sending all posts and emails via my Winlink SSB/HF radio connection for time being - at least I have that as a reliable back up!
Amazing! Wind display has decided to come back - showing apparent wind of 16kt from WNW... Sounds about right.
Must get some sleep - none so far - not good.
11:30am Just got back down below (no sleep!) after lowering trysail and stowing/tying it down ready for deploying the JSD (Jordan Series Drogue) later today - took a far longer time than expected to secure the sail well and a big swell, moving boat from side to side, made it very difficult.
Winds are expected to be over 35kt, gusting over 45 kt from later today through to Tuesday, with 6m seas - of short period, 7s, for a time, as well - so I decided to be safe, although I was really hoping to be able to keep going... Very disappointing... more time lost..
I missed being able to phone and speak to friends at RVYC with whom I'd hoped to share my celebrations with a toast to 'the 3rd Great Cape'.... Every time I tried to phone, once having got back off deck, the wi-fi signal went down so no connection was made, despite trying very many times - another disappointment. (I can receive incoming calls to a wired handset but there seems to be a problem with outgoing calls, not sure why.) I hope everyone is having a really good time at the THRASH Regatta evening (maybe after a good day's racing) at the Club.
12:50pm Speed dropping - now making 4kt in light wind. It's supposed to be just under 20kt now! Time for a very late breakfast/brunch - and then maybe some sleep would be good... That's one good thing about lying to the JSD - I can get plenty of sleep!
4pm Blue sunny sky earlier, then total cloud cover, but no rain, and now cloud breaking up again to give blue patches. Had a big gust under the cloud, so furled in genoa madly, thinking this was the 25-30kt wind coming in ... and now just unfurled some again with wind having dropped right down again... Making 3-4kt instead of the previous over 6kt... Certainly keeps me busy! Will try Making 5-6kt. to get some of the sleep I keep tallking about but not getting yet....
6:30pm Had a good, short nap. Daylight almost gone. Thin line of light above the W horizon where there's a break in between the grey clouds. Furled genoa away while still good light to see by. Making just under 4kt in 20-25kt wind under staysail alone. Seas NW 4m. Very noisy with wind moaning and whistling Enjoying a hot mug of soup.
7:50pm Raining.. Feeling much calmer and less noisy. Wind has been NW 25kt, but seems to be easing in the rain. Cold Front is approaching - but not with a major backing of wind to the SW, unusually - will just back to WNW. Expecting 25-30kt winds overnight, with possible gusts to 50-55kt - possibly under clouds but hopefully, short ones and, also hopefully, somewhere else!
Time to start my night sleep routine - Nereida seems to be doing fine and if conditions change dramatically, I'll be woken up.
The wi-fi signal is continuing to disappear most of the time, coming up only occasionally - and then not for long, so no downloads completed since very early morning. TG for Winlink and my Icom SSB/HF radio with Pactor modem! Have been trying to get up-to-date with email replies.
1900GMT (= 3 a.m. LT) - end of Day 193. We made 97 n.ml. DMG, over the 24 hr period, measured in a straight line between the two 1900 GMT positions.
Total distance covered from Victoria, B.C., to end of Day 193 (by daily DMGs):17,054 n.ml.
Distances (at 1900GMT): Cape Leeuwin LH (SW Australia): 379 n.ml. to NNW (126 n.ml. to WP due S - now passed); Melbourne (VIC, Aus): 1242 n.ml. to ENE; SE Cape,Tasmania,LH: 1302 n.ml. to ESE; SW Cape, NZ: 2151 n.ml ESE.
Position & weather report for 1900 GMT posted to www.Winlink.org and www.Shiptrak.org (using my US callsign KC2IOV):
TIME: 2019/04/14 19:00GMT LATITUDE: 40-18.12S LONGITUDE: 117-50.32E
COURSE: 088T SPEED: 4.5kt
WIND_SPEED: 25kt WIND_DIR: WNW SWELL_DIR: WNW SWELL_HT: 4.0m
BARO: 986.3hPa TREND: 0 AIR_TEMP: 14.0C SEA_TEMP: 15.0C
COMMENT: Rolly, but not too bad. Wind up and down.
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At 14/04/2019 19:00 (utc) our position was 4018.12'S 11750.32'E
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