This Is VE7 TLZ -- Do You Copy? -- Over
22 July 2011 | 44 38'N:152 26'W,
In previous blogs I have briefly mentioned our contact with the Pacific Maritimers Net over our single side band radio each evening at 0300 Zulu time (Universal or Greenwich). Sailing vessels traversing large bodies of water rely almost exclusively on this lifeline to keep in touch with other maritimers on similar routing to anticipate weather changes or alert traffic behind them of possible changes in weather patterns.
Moderators on these networks also patch maritimers through to experts, (medical or other technical matters), to assist in resolving difficulties they may be experiencing on route. We in fact used one of these patches on the first leg to Hawaii patches when Fred from Florida patched us through on a phone line to alert people who we knew were following us that we were experiencing communication problems but were otherwise okay.
Kevin, the crew member in the attached photo, has spent his entire professional career in radio communications; a retired career military man, he has also been an avid ham radio operator throughout the course of his life. Not surprisingly he is the man on the scene aboard Telltales.
On another note yesterday, we were visited by two leviathans from the deep; a gray whale mother and her calf. They stayed alongside the boat for 10 or 15 min. and then slipped away. It was quite surprising because normally we expected that their migratory route would keep them much closer to shore.
Other than that, our only visitors on a daily basis are the storm petrels; two species, Leach's Storm Petrel and Black Storm Petrel as well As Shearwaters which constantly are on the move about us with a tremendous expenditure of energy but we have never seen them feed as of yet.
We have now made the turn at the top of the Pacific High and are in the shute with westerlies pushing us towards Cape Flattery and Juan de Fuca Strait in 20 kn winds and following 15-20 foot seas. We have now voyaged 1736 miles from Hilo Hawaii and are 1157 miles from Cape Flattery.
Regrettably, we are back into our woolies and foul weather gear -- a sure reminder that we're back into the Pacific Northwest!