The Highs and Lows
03 March 2010 | 20 deg 56 N : 30 deg 22 W
Tom
Ah the schemes and plans of mice and men!
We had it all figured out for a straight forward passage circling the high and romping through Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean. Previously I alluded to our routing around the Azores High and it should have been simple but.......
By way of illustration I have put together a modified synoptic chart to show something of what we are about out here. This particular chart is the only one received recently to show the high in a reasonable position for us to follow a route around it with the yellow arrows. Looking at the clockwise circulation the red arrows give a shorter distance but with head winds and rougher seas. This I have often followed with mono-hulled boats that can go to windward very successfully. Our catamaran however is not able to punch it's way to windward in the same manner. This leaves us with the alternative of going further west and rounding the high pressure system firstly on a "reach" and then across the top towards Gibraltar on a "run".
This is all fine in theory and we had it all sorted in our heads and on
paper to whip around the high with ease. But OH there were other things in store for us! Having left Cape Town at the height of summer the North Atlantic is still in it's winter pattern with the high displaced and almost non existent. Having sailed with the blue line up to the point where we could go north following the yellow line to sling-shot us around the high, we are finding the weather patterns not at all like it was planed to be. Instead of the good steady winds on the beam to give us good speed the winds are proving to be light and fluky in the extreme with us sailing a convoluted course back and forth to make any progress towards our next turning point.
But all is not lost. The ocean patterns here are to me quite different to what has been experienced further to the east. Here I am finding the ocean more peaceful with a graceful, rolling motion that is most pleasant. It does not have the thrust and hurried action found closer to the African continent. Lately the sunsets have been different too. Previously full bodied with deep hues of red the tone has now changed to a more subtle range of yellows and gold not changing much as the sun sinks below the horizon. It just serenely slides below the horizon and is gone with out any dramatics.
Cheers Tom