No aggravation
23 September 2010 | South of Capel Bank
John and Shauna
We've just had our third night at sea on the Noumea to Australia run. So far we couldn't complain at all. The breeze has on the whole been over our port beam, at a speed initially of 18 to 23 knots, and this has settled down to 11 - 15 knots from the same direction, SE. This has allowed us to reach down our rhum line to Coffs Harbour without discomfort to either the crew or the autopilot. Most importantly, the conditions are compatible with almost normal cooking - last night we put some chicken pieces in the oven and roasted them with some vegetables - lovely! We are going to pass below Capel Bank today, which will have us over the halfway mark (also the hideout of a vast armada of attack-trained flying fish who ambush us every time we pass through their territory). The GRIB files (which we update every morning via HF radio) and the Buoyweather predictions both show pretty benign conditions for the rest of the voyage - if anything we'll need to motor a bit towards the East Australian Coast; then again the East Coast Current, which sets southward, is running fast this year and will help our speed as we close on the coast from the NE. Our freezer has plenty of Wahoo, Mahi Mahi and Yellowfin so we aren't trolling a lure at the moment. It's really noticeable to us that the ambient temperature, especially at night, is getting a sharp chill as we make some southing. Tracksuit pants rather than shorts when on watch at night. Damn!