Sailing in the right direction
22 December 2009 | At sea, destination Acapulco - Day 10
Joe
The breeze is blowing in gently from the ENE, the waves are passing under the boat giving her a big rock and roll occasionallly, the sun is shining, the air is warm - and we are a thousand miles from Cabo Passado, our departure point with about four to five hundred miles to go. Adrienne was last on watch so she is sleeping now.
Heading NW at 5 knots, we are entering the Tehuantepec Gulf area, where the winds can come through from the Caribbean at great force. The forecast is they will not be blowing for the next three days to a week, giving a window for boats to pass. It could be a week, or even less, and we'll be in Mexico! We are staying three hundred miles offshore in case they do blow hard.
The first six days and nights were easy sailing, never stopping, averaging almost 6 knots, then came confusion - in the last few days- with the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The ITCZ is about 240 nm wide, and is populated with thunderstorms, just like a paddock is with trees. Winds are light and variable. So you turn on the motor, using fuel which you would rather keep for the last part - approaching the coast. The winds inside these thunderheads can be much stronger - as you will know if you read the blog relating the ripping of our mizzen sail in one of these storms last May. So we navigate around them - easily visible by day, and they show up on the radar by night.
Last night I found a ship right on my course, dead ahead, and getting very close I called him up on the VHF radio. Are you moving? I asked. gibberenglish came back. What course are you on? I tried. More gibberenglish. Finally I saw his green starboard light. All is okay now - I will pass behind you, I said, and repeated this. No answer, but we passed safely behind the ship, which seemed to be heading for the Panama Canal.
Phil - if you read this, send me an email to let me know these are getting through. And don't move out of Australia until I get back!.
Greg - sorry we'll miss you in Chicago, but maybe you could visit us in Mexico.
Position: 09 deg 23' N, 093 deg 47' W