Wednesday 15 August 2018

Remember when someone mentioned that we didn't mind passages? A slight revision to that suggestion seems in order. Could be getting older, losing the sense of challenge, being static for a year and a half or plunging through a seaway for the bulk of this last month and certainly that the Indian Ocean is a mean SOB, but this isn't quite the unadorned joy previously implied. Four meter seas and winds to upper 20s tend to wear you down. Next leg is to weather, but going up and down instead of side to side and shorter. Nice break in Chagos where we hope to relax, alleviate alcohol deficiency and snorkle (scuba not allowed). Better break in the Mascarenes where stops are longer and longest passage is four days until leaving Madagascar sometime in November. At least today we're getting a squall every half hour to escape excessive relaxation.

Thursday

Hump day. In the movie "The High and The Mighty" it was ominously called the point of no return, just as fast to go on as go back. Given strong winds blowing us away and even stronger desire not to abort, our no return point was shortly after departing Cocos. We're more focused on halfway. Expect to be there in distance sometime today and in time a little later (approaching low wind area). Also unlike John Wayne and Robert Stack in their DC-7 we shouldn't have to come in on fumes with dead engines and nobody gets slapped and says "thanks, I needed that". It probably won't be nearly as dramatic.

Friday

Actually finished downloading the Wednesday weather and requested today's. May never get it. The one received is somewhat different from what we're seeing. However, may give general idea of what's coming, e.g. high wind and sea approaching from the south in a couple of days encouraging turn more northward when wind picks up... maybe. Now more than 2000 NM from Brunei and still over 3300 from Pretoria. GRIBs (Gruesomely Rudimentary, It's Betterthannothing) will be only SSB priority for awhile.

Rethinking satellite transceiver. Love the SSB, which has been reliable until now (Indian is reported poorest Sailmail coverage area although South Atlantic doesn't look so hot either) and Iridium is expensive, but enables contact all the time, anytime. Will research for potential purchase in Mascarenes, ergo real time weather predictions at hand. That's just an excuse, of course. Real reason is so you won't have to pine away waiting for the next blog post. It's all about you.

Jack