Location: N 5deg 29.8', E 139deg 17.6', COG 091deg T, SOG 6.7 kts
24hr estimated position: N 5deg 30', E 141deg 38.1'

Baro: 29.77, ranging last 12hrs from 29.71 - 29.8

Winds: ranging in last 12hrs from W-NW-N-NE, mostly less than 5kts

Seas had moderated greatly to a 1+meter swell out of the E

before local sunset, we had 90% cloud cover, appearing mostly benign cumulo-status, a couple of T-heads ahead of us on the East horizon
while to the north the horizon looked quite dark with heavy clouds. now 3 hrs after local sunset, there are stars and moon visible above through
a thin stratus, otherwise still full clould cover all around; presently no squalls or t-heads visible

as described in the narrative below, we are no longer interested in hunting down the elusive (this time of year) ECC, but rather to avoid
the NEC and SEC and get a reasonably smooth ride, weather permitting. currently running 090deg True, eastbound on N 5deg 30'




On watch, 1015 hrs (local time), sultry, grey sky, confused sea. We no longer have wind against us, but instead less than 5 knots from aft.
jWe're showing 6.7 - 6.8 knots SOG (Speed Over Ground), even with the para-vane fish in the water, and that's progress, though at a tangent
to our destination. Good news: no TC (Tropical Cyclones) likely this far south, and very few obstacles -- reefs, banks, atols -- to run into in
the middle of the night on this track. Bad news, taking the tangential route to Pohnepei adds a day or so to this leg.


Reading up on the Equatorial Counter Current in British Admiralty Ocean Passages, sec 7.28 and in Admiralty Pacific Pilot NP60 p.11, it appears that
the ECC is very unreliable, in this part of the world, this time of year and may even be squeezed out completely by joining of the NEC (North Equatorial Current)
and SEC (South Equatorial Current, which despite the name may actually run as high as N 4 deg this time of year). We're going to stop chasing the
ECC and go with the N 5deg 30' track, jogging as necessary for weather.

1115 local: lack of local wind has caused the water surface to smooth out quite a bit; we're still getting 6.7 - 7.0 kts SOG

1800 local: on stopping for a small tuna that hit our trolling line, I had an opportunity to check actual current in this area. It turns out we've got
a 1.1 knot current setting from 345degT to 165deg T. That's set (345degT) and drift (1.1kts) for those who care.

We are not 1150 direct nautical miles from Pohnpei. We're seeing a more regular ocean swell now -- 2-3 meter, longer period, not so confused or
steep as earlier this morning (local).

We had movie night this evening. Started The Pacific series -- seemed appropriate. I took watch since I've already seen it. Alls well aboard Shearwater.


Squalls:

Squalls show up on the radar miles out before they reach (and drench) us. During the daytime one can relate what's being seen on the radar screen to reality out the pilothouse window.
At night, of course, you can't see shit out the window when in the vicinity of a squall, or maybe there's stars above, but in the direction (as indicated on radar) of the
squall nothing but blackness (and sometimes hints of lightning inside the squall cloud). The reason they can be seen on radar, is because the bottoms of the squall cloud are
'low enough to be picked up by the radar beam. They appear on the radar screen as amorphous, constantly changing, science-fiction-y shapes in electric red/blue/yellow/green colors.
As I've mentioned before, they sometimes seem to defy prevailing surface winds to creep up, against the wind, getting closer, bigger, envoloping the boat, both on the radar screen
and in reality, blotting out the stars... thump-thump, Thump-Thump, THUMP-THUMP! Aaaahhhh! Chichen Heart Not Gonna Get Me! I've Got Fire And Jello In Here!...

Maybe I shouldn't write these blogs in the middle of the night....