Sunday, May 25, 2014

May 25 Position Report

5/25/14 Wandering Dolphin POS

GMT 1200
10 38.26N  118 33.04W
COG 280T
SOG 6.5 - 7 kts
NTN 164 nautical miles
DMG 164 nautical miles
DTG 2421 nautical miles

Wind: NW 18-22
Current: can't measure it this morning
Temp: 90.2 F
Pressure: 29.55
Sky:
Seas:
Sails:

Good Morning,

A few days ago we changed over to Pacific time so now my 1200GMT report has to be written at 5:00am while it's still pitch dark out.  We have to change time four more times I think before we get to Hawaii.  I will still write the vital statistics at GMT 1200 but my observable conditions will be at daybreak and that is when I will send off the report.  It is pretty crazy to think that we have sailed so far now from St. Thomas that we are on Pacific time!

Yesterday was rough!  Well actually it continues right now too.  The wind filled in just after daybreak from the NW and built to 20 gusting higher.  We were reefed and ready to roll though and WD sails to windward like a witch but that doesn't  mean it was comfortable.  The seas built quickly from the wind, and the swells soon kicked in from the hurricane to our east.  We were shipping water over the deck many times throughout the day and even now two waves came one after another and broke over the deck itself.  Of course this means we had to keep all ports shut and the hatches dogged tight so the boat is HOT.  Everyone tends to spend a lot of time in the cockpit so I had to rig the cover.  In order to put up our cover we have to slide the main sheet out which is not a good place for the sail normally close hauled but in these seas and winds it actually helped by spilling some wind out of the double reefed main slowing the boat and taking away the weather helm.  We averaged seven knots all day, there were a lot of eights too.  Once the wind moves around to the NE to a broad reach she will really kick up her heels and we could be averaging 11 knots with the help of a 2 knot current!  We are looking forward to getting the wind and waves behind us too.  Don't get me wrong!  We are HAPPY to be moving right now!

The wind gen. has been performing admirably.  Last night we didn't even need to start the generator to watch our show.  We just turned on the inverter and let the wind power it all.  It looks like we will have a sunny day today as well which means we will actually have power to burn!  The boys love that because I let them play X-Box during the day when we are making that much electricity.

The crescent moon and Venus are side by sine this morning and absolutely stunning!  The sea is a beautiful woman with her hair all messed up from the wind and a wild look in her pretty eyes.  These waves are harsh but beautiful, foaming, crashing into the side of the boat.  They hiss as the approach.  Our flush deck shrugs them off again and again and after 24 hours of this our cockpit is still dry.

Yesterday while the waves were crashing Benny was laying along the cockpit coaming playing with his Legos and he was commenting about the difference between little Dulcinea, and Wandering Dolphin.  In case you are a new reader, Benny went on that delivery right before we left St. Thomas for this trip.  He and Emily and myself had been out for almost a month with only a week between the passages.  Benny said that the biggest difference in the boats to him, apart from having an auto pilot on WD, is that Dulcinea was so much closer to the water.  She's a great little full keeled boat but at 35 feet the freeboard is so much lower that when things get rough you are right there with the waves where we have higher freeboard and also splash guards to help keep the waves out.  When we stopped in Grand Cayman we met some folks on a 31ft Cape Dory.  That little boat was REALLY close to the water!  They said that to do the dishes offshore they just reached out of the cockpit and dragged them through the water!  Well, when it gets rough I sure like to have a dry cockpit and a boat that has the ability to spill shipped water efficiently.

Messages:
Aline, thanks for the math riddle for Benny, he solved it quickly and said he needs a harder one.  He really liked having a message addressed to him, but when we told him he had a message I think he was hoping for one from a girl in St Thomas... Hehehe (don't say anything Steve)

Jim V. No keep the food ones coming!  Also Beck didn't write out the tortilla recipe so send it again please!  Yesterday's afternoon post is all about the canning.

Carl, thanks for the history trivia.

Cave, we love the news and personal stuff from you!  Those Rangers are great, fast little boats.

Shannon, we just finished season 3, season 4 comes out in August.

Mike, thanks for the info on Amanda.  Crazy when you look at the sat picture and look at our position I bet?

Hope I didn't forget anyone... We sure like getting your messages!

Listening to "Amanda" by Boston.... I wonder why?

Captain Tofer and the Crew

1 comment:

  1. Praying for you with the hurricane going.on. Have a good day.

    ReplyDelete