Fast conditions, 37 degrees south – waiting waiting for the 40s
Email from the boat to shore:
From: OmanTri
To: update
Subject: quick – very quick
Date: 23/01/2009 03:07:42
quick, very quick
as we go down some of these small swells the boat speed increases 17,
17.5,18.6,19.2,21,22.7,24.1,26.2,27.3
as fast as you read that the boat accelorates to 27kts from just 17 there is
a thundering noise as the water blasts past the main hull and the leeward
float, occassionally one whacks the beam – with a bang and the resulting
jolt through the boat that if you are getting from one part of the boat to
the other send you into the doorway or against the chart table seat.
For most of the day we hammered along with gennaker and full mainsail
reaching speeds of up to 29kts, and as the sun began to set we watched a few
dolphins playing in the wake ( small round bodied chaps) who dutifully
disappeared as soon as any recording device was aimed in their direction.
After the dolphins we took a reef, and then at the change of the watch we
furled and dropped the gennaker and set the genoa. speeds were only slightly
lower but it was less of a struggle on the helm. Then during the darkness
we furled up the genoa and changed to the smaller solent jib – the wind had
increased and this rig meant we could sail slightly higher – not wanting to
get any south into our course so as not to drop into some unstable air
caused by the frontal zone after the front passes to our south later today.
and so it’s daylight now, and we are still making great progress eastwards
from noon yesterday to midnight gmt we covered just under 250nm – almost a
500nm day if we can keep it up….Not sure it will be quite so big – but it
ould easily be a 450 or 460 on the score board by Noon today
the nights are getting shorter – last night the sunset was around 1330 GMT,
and sun rise was 2315 GMT we are sticking to this time zone the whole way
around the world – mainly so that it keeps us in routine with the weather
reports which are issued at well know GMT intervals 00,06,12,18hrs but it
is strange for it to come light at 11pm! and to be having breakfast at 1am
i guess it’s something you just get used to.
To: update
Subject: quick – very quick
Date: 23/01/2009 03:07:42
quick, very quick
as we go down some of these small swells the boat speed increases 17,
17.5,18.6,19.2,21,22.7,24.1,26.2,27.3
as fast as you read that the boat accelorates to 27kts from just 17 there is
a thundering noise as the water blasts past the main hull and the leeward
float, occassionally one whacks the beam – with a bang and the resulting
jolt through the boat that if you are getting from one part of the boat to
the other send you into the doorway or against the chart table seat.
For most of the day we hammered along with gennaker and full mainsail
reaching speeds of up to 29kts, and as the sun began to set we watched a few
dolphins playing in the wake ( small round bodied chaps) who dutifully
disappeared as soon as any recording device was aimed in their direction.
After the dolphins we took a reef, and then at the change of the watch we
furled and dropped the gennaker and set the genoa. speeds were only slightly
lower but it was less of a struggle on the helm. Then during the darkness
we furled up the genoa and changed to the smaller solent jib – the wind had
increased and this rig meant we could sail slightly higher – not wanting to
get any south into our course so as not to drop into some unstable air
caused by the frontal zone after the front passes to our south later today.
and so it’s daylight now, and we are still making great progress eastwards
from noon yesterday to midnight gmt we covered just under 250nm – almost a
500nm day if we can keep it up….Not sure it will be quite so big – but it
ould easily be a 450 or 460 on the score board by Noon today
the nights are getting shorter – last night the sunset was around 1330 GMT,
and sun rise was 2315 GMT we are sticking to this time zone the whole way
around the world – mainly so that it keeps us in routine with the weather
reports which are issued at well know GMT intervals 00,06,12,18hrs but it
is strange for it to come light at 11pm! and to be having breakfast at 1am
i guess it’s something you just get used to.
Weather Router’s advice:
From: Commanders’ Weather
To: Musandam
Subject: Weather 1/23/09
Date: 23/01/2009 15:23:44
To: Charles Darbyshire and crew of “Musandam”
From: Commanders Weather Corp
Event: sail around the world
Last Position: 37 29s/90 44e at 1245utc Fri, Jan 23
Prepared: 1345utc Friday, January 23, 2009
SummaryÖ
1) Very nice 24 hrs. Strategy is still the same
a) we will sail this NW wind as much as we can, trying to not get too far
N while on port gybe, but
b) need to keep an eye on wind speed, as we don’t want to get too close
to the high and into too little wind speed
2) At 1200UTC today, high pressure is near 30-31S/90-92E and does not seem
to be a big
weather issue as it will move E over the next 2 days
a) cold front is located from 40-41S/95E to 39-40S/90E to 35S/80E ñ this
front should stay safely S and SW of you over the next 36-48hrs, but
3) I think wind directions may edge a little left Sat night/Sun morning,
roughly in the 09-1500UTC time
frame Sat
a) if this leftie occurs, let’s go to starboard ñ this gybe will get us a
little further S and a little more wind speed ahead of the next cold front
b) the leftie will be brief, probably no more than 6 hrs and as soon as
the winds start to veer/increase, then we go back to port gybe and as fast
as possible to the E
c) if this leftie does not occur/materialize, then we continue on port
gybe, but do not go N of 35S
4) Cold front arrives Mon night/Tue morning local time
a) cold front looks a little stronger than I though yesterday, but the
gusty/squally and unstable SW and WSW wind will last a bit longer than I
thought yesterday
b) it will also be very important for us to make some good southeasting,
once the cold front passes
as there will be a big high pressure area in the Tasman Sea, which in turn
means the high pressure cell coming out of the Great Australian Bight will
pass S of Tasmania midweek
c) bottom-line, once the cold front passes, we must get SE
5) Looks like another cold front approaching Wed/Thu, so winds will veer
into the NW, which means
back to port gybe, but we will need to be S and possibly/probably S of
45S by then
Routing
1) Fast as possible to the E on port gybe, but
2) If we get a leftie, TWD near 270-280, around 0900-1500UTC Sat, then a
period on starboard gybe
a) back to port gybe when winds veer
3) Sail as fast as possible on port gybe E of the cold fronts, but when cold
front passes late Mon/Tue,
we need fast SE on starboard gybe
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, and time is UTC
Fri, Jan 23
18: 285-310/15-21
WeatherÖPartly cloudy. Lots of clouds and scattered showers in the frontal
zone to the SW. Swell be W and WSW at 8-12 feet
Sat, Jan 24
00: 290-310/15-21
06: 290-310/16-22
12: 300-270/15-20, on starboard gybe near 36 10S/99 20E
18: 295-315/17-23 and on port gybe
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy, but showers will be S of 37S. Swell W and
WSW at 6-10 feet
Sun, Jan 25
00: 300-320/20-26
06: 295-320/20-30
12: 290-300/20-30, as fast as possible E on port gybe near 37 30S107 50E
18: 290-310/18-24
WeatherÖPartly cloudy with W and WSW swell of 6-10 feet
Mon, Jan 26
00: 310-280/16-22
06: 300-270/15-20, maybe go to starboard on this leftie
12: 270-240/14-20, gust/squall 30 and on starboard near 38s/116e
18: 270-230/16-22, gust/squall 30
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers/squalls as the cold
front moves thru, but trending to partly cloudy as winds become SW. Seas up
to 8-12 feet for a while from the W and SW
Tue, Jan 27
00: 260-230/17-23, gust/squall 30
06: 250-220/17-23
12: 250-220/14-20, near 41 20S/123 45E and may have to go on a steeper dive
to the SE
18: 220-250/13-18
WeatherÖPartly cloudy with SW seas of 6-9 feet and improving
Wed, Jan 28
00: 260-300/ 8-12, may have to be further S
12: 320-350/ 8-12, going to port near 44 30S/131E
WeatherÖPartly cloudy with W seas of 4-7 feet ñ cold front to the W, so
winds and seas should increase after 1200UTC, but must get S to get around
the high pressure cell
Best regards, Ken Campbell
—
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF JANUARY 1, 2008, OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS :
info@commandersweather.com
Commanders Weather Corp.
Tel: 603-882-6789
To: Musandam
Subject: Weather 1/23/09
Date: 23/01/2009 15:23:44
To: Charles Darbyshire and crew of “Musandam”
From: Commanders Weather Corp
Event: sail around the world
Last Position: 37 29s/90 44e at 1245utc Fri, Jan 23
Prepared: 1345utc Friday, January 23, 2009
SummaryÖ
1) Very nice 24 hrs. Strategy is still the same
a) we will sail this NW wind as much as we can, trying to not get too far
N while on port gybe, but
b) need to keep an eye on wind speed, as we don’t want to get too close
to the high and into too little wind speed
2) At 1200UTC today, high pressure is near 30-31S/90-92E and does not seem
to be a big
weather issue as it will move E over the next 2 days
a) cold front is located from 40-41S/95E to 39-40S/90E to 35S/80E ñ this
front should stay safely S and SW of you over the next 36-48hrs, but
3) I think wind directions may edge a little left Sat night/Sun morning,
roughly in the 09-1500UTC time
frame Sat
a) if this leftie occurs, let’s go to starboard ñ this gybe will get us a
little further S and a little more wind speed ahead of the next cold front
b) the leftie will be brief, probably no more than 6 hrs and as soon as
the winds start to veer/increase, then we go back to port gybe and as fast
as possible to the E
c) if this leftie does not occur/materialize, then we continue on port
gybe, but do not go N of 35S
4) Cold front arrives Mon night/Tue morning local time
a) cold front looks a little stronger than I though yesterday, but the
gusty/squally and unstable SW and WSW wind will last a bit longer than I
thought yesterday
b) it will also be very important for us to make some good southeasting,
once the cold front passes
as there will be a big high pressure area in the Tasman Sea, which in turn
means the high pressure cell coming out of the Great Australian Bight will
pass S of Tasmania midweek
c) bottom-line, once the cold front passes, we must get SE
5) Looks like another cold front approaching Wed/Thu, so winds will veer
into the NW, which means
back to port gybe, but we will need to be S and possibly/probably S of
45S by then
Routing
1) Fast as possible to the E on port gybe, but
2) If we get a leftie, TWD near 270-280, around 0900-1500UTC Sat, then a
period on starboard gybe
a) back to port gybe when winds veer
3) Sail as fast as possible on port gybe E of the cold fronts, but when cold
front passes late Mon/Tue,
we need fast SE on starboard gybe
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, and time is UTC
Fri, Jan 23
18: 285-310/15-21
WeatherÖPartly cloudy. Lots of clouds and scattered showers in the frontal
zone to the SW. Swell be W and WSW at 8-12 feet
Sat, Jan 24
00: 290-310/15-21
06: 290-310/16-22
12: 300-270/15-20, on starboard gybe near 36 10S/99 20E
18: 295-315/17-23 and on port gybe
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy, but showers will be S of 37S. Swell W and
WSW at 6-10 feet
Sun, Jan 25
00: 300-320/20-26
06: 295-320/20-30
12: 290-300/20-30, as fast as possible E on port gybe near 37 30S107 50E
18: 290-310/18-24
WeatherÖPartly cloudy with W and WSW swell of 6-10 feet
Mon, Jan 26
00: 310-280/16-22
06: 300-270/15-20, maybe go to starboard on this leftie
12: 270-240/14-20, gust/squall 30 and on starboard near 38s/116e
18: 270-230/16-22, gust/squall 30
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers/squalls as the cold
front moves thru, but trending to partly cloudy as winds become SW. Seas up
to 8-12 feet for a while from the W and SW
Tue, Jan 27
00: 260-230/17-23, gust/squall 30
06: 250-220/17-23
12: 250-220/14-20, near 41 20S/123 45E and may have to go on a steeper dive
to the SE
18: 220-250/13-18
WeatherÖPartly cloudy with SW seas of 6-9 feet and improving
Wed, Jan 28
00: 260-300/ 8-12, may have to be further S
12: 320-350/ 8-12, going to port near 44 30S/131E
WeatherÖPartly cloudy with W seas of 4-7 feet ñ cold front to the W, so
winds and seas should increase after 1200UTC, but must get S to get around
the high pressure cell
Best regards, Ken Campbell
—
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF JANUARY 1, 2008, OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS :
info@commandersweather.com
Commanders Weather Corp.
Tel: 603-882-6789
A selection of pictures from today: