Thursday 27th June 2013
11 AM Lovely to be sailing well at last! We've made 4 – 5 kt, sometimes up to 6 kt. Wind came up around 9 am, after we’d been drifting around all night, with head sails furled away. Pressure up at 1005 hPa (997 hPa yesterday). Bright overcast – solar panels putting in around 7A. Downloading weather faxes. Heater on – feels nice and warm in the cabin (sea temperatures 14C).
Decided to look at “weather centre” – found corrosion on battery ends and negative terminals, so got busy cleaning to bright metal. With new batteries, it’s now working fine.
930 pm 600 n.ml. from Victoria! We've made excellent speed in continuing good SSE winds – 6 – 7 kt for several hours this afternoon in bright sunshine, which later gave way to rain. Very close hauled now in slightly backed wind, so speed down to 5 kt – result of trying not to be set too far north of course to Juan de Fuca Strait.
Weather forecast is looking good for next 2 or 3 days, but possibility of difficult approach to the strait as we get closer.
10 pm Wind seems to be dying .... speed under 4 kt.
11 pm Unfurled all genoa – speed was under 3 kt. Now making 4.5 kt in light SE wind, course 070T. Clear starry skies, moon rising, layer of cloud on N horizon.
24hr DMG to 2300GMT: 45n.ml. Strait of Juan de Fuca: 580n.ml. (086T); Victoria: 639n.ml.
From: KC2IOV/MM by HF radio. Transcribed by Rick, VE7TK, Victoria, BC via Ham Radio for posting
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http://www.7163net.com Current Position Reported by Ham Radio with Google Earth Tracking