same as yesterday
much the same as yesterday
looks like good shampoo weather
Email from the boat to shore:
From: OmanTri
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:53:24 -0000
To: update
Subject: wednesday morning
Groundhog day in the doldrums isn’t the best ground hog day in the world.
None the less here we are. We are making (slow) progress North when we can,
sometimes NE sometimes NW, we are looking for the winds to shift to the NW
and stabalise a little before we get to the equator, then wait for a shift
to the NE which covers (right now) the whole of the North Indian Ocean, and
should take us a fair way towards Muscat. We are at 10 43S which means we
are 643nm S of the equator – a Fastnet, or Sydney-Hobart race away.
The last 24hours has been eventful, we have been sailing past ( trying to
avoid mainly) the heavy grey clouds that are around, but sometimes we get
hit, and during the night we got a torrential down pour, out outside bucket
was 1/3 full by the end of it. The boat got a good fresh water wash, and so
did we! Shampoo out. Need to be reminded not to stand in the shower when I
get back with my wet weather gear on shampooing my hair! Together with the
rain comes either lots of wind, or no wind – we got both types last night –
at one point 30 kts of wind… headsails furled main eased, just jogging
along waiting for it to die down. After a while the clounds moved off us,
and we started sailing again, this time towards the NW which has given a few
hours of more consistant sailing which is a bit of a relief..
We are in the middle of the ocean, but our water depth is just 22m ! We
are on the Mascarene Plateau, back in time this was an island but must have
succomed to the last round of global warming. Thierry is hoping that it
provideds good hunting ground for his fishing expedition, and as our
boatspeed is less than 8 kts there is a chance of some fresh fish on the
menu later. Talking of natural features, there is an island to our NE which
is prawn farm – Coetivy Islands. I think that it’s a private island, seems
a shame to waste a beautiful island like that on a commercial enterprize
especially as it can’t be easy getting services there. Water, gas,
electricity. the farming must be extraordinarily good..
So – what does today and tomorrow hold – groung hog 2 or is it 3…. we’ll
have to see, we might be lucky and wriggle our way NE and find our new
breeze. Escape won’t be easy from this place, but we are working hard on it.
It’s been good to hear what’s been going on outside of our small world.
and we’ve been getting some great messages of support from the website
again, both from Oman, and internationally – keep writing to us, they are
all very much appreciated. as the finish moves ( ever so slowly) closer
you can’t help but wonder how long its going to take the 5 of us to adjust
to normal life again, or how best to go about it. I think for the first few
days apart we’ll be txt’ing each other asking if they have done this or that
yet, or wasn’t it weird to flush the loo…. ( something we are all looking
forward too, and believe it could have been one of mans best inventions)
Ok that’s it until tomorrow, leave us to our sun drenched ( and sometimes
rain drenched) yacht in the indian ocean, hopefully by then we’ll be making
consistant progress, in something approaching a N direction.
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:53:24 -0000
To: update
Subject: wednesday morning
Groundhog day in the doldrums isn’t the best ground hog day in the world.
None the less here we are. We are making (slow) progress North when we can,
sometimes NE sometimes NW, we are looking for the winds to shift to the NW
and stabalise a little before we get to the equator, then wait for a shift
to the NE which covers (right now) the whole of the North Indian Ocean, and
should take us a fair way towards Muscat. We are at 10 43S which means we
are 643nm S of the equator – a Fastnet, or Sydney-Hobart race away.
The last 24hours has been eventful, we have been sailing past ( trying to
avoid mainly) the heavy grey clouds that are around, but sometimes we get
hit, and during the night we got a torrential down pour, out outside bucket
was 1/3 full by the end of it. The boat got a good fresh water wash, and so
did we! Shampoo out. Need to be reminded not to stand in the shower when I
get back with my wet weather gear on shampooing my hair! Together with the
rain comes either lots of wind, or no wind – we got both types last night –
at one point 30 kts of wind… headsails furled main eased, just jogging
along waiting for it to die down. After a while the clounds moved off us,
and we started sailing again, this time towards the NW which has given a few
hours of more consistant sailing which is a bit of a relief..
We are in the middle of the ocean, but our water depth is just 22m ! We
are on the Mascarene Plateau, back in time this was an island but must have
succomed to the last round of global warming. Thierry is hoping that it
provideds good hunting ground for his fishing expedition, and as our
boatspeed is less than 8 kts there is a chance of some fresh fish on the
menu later. Talking of natural features, there is an island to our NE which
is prawn farm – Coetivy Islands. I think that it’s a private island, seems
a shame to waste a beautiful island like that on a commercial enterprize
especially as it can’t be easy getting services there. Water, gas,
electricity. the farming must be extraordinarily good..
So – what does today and tomorrow hold – groung hog 2 or is it 3…. we’ll
have to see, we might be lucky and wriggle our way NE and find our new
breeze. Escape won’t be easy from this place, but we are working hard on it.
It’s been good to hear what’s been going on outside of our small world.
and we’ve been getting some great messages of support from the website
again, both from Oman, and internationally – keep writing to us, they are
all very much appreciated. as the finish moves ( ever so slowly) closer
you can’t help but wonder how long its going to take the 5 of us to adjust
to normal life again, or how best to go about it. I think for the first few
days apart we’ll be txt’ing each other asking if they have done this or that
yet, or wasn’t it weird to flush the loo…. ( something we are all looking
forward too, and believe it could have been one of mans best inventions)
Ok that’s it until tomorrow, leave us to our sun drenched ( and sometimes
rain drenched) yacht in the indian ocean, hopefully by then we’ll be making
consistant progress, in something approaching a N direction.
Weather Router’s advice:
From: Commanders’ Weather
To: Charles Darbyshire , Musandam ,updateoman
Subject: weather
Date: 11/03/2009 11:37:35
To: Charles Darbyshire and the crew of
ìMusandamî
From: Commanders Weather Corp
Event: sail around the world
Last Position: 9 45s/62 03e at 1000utc Wed, Mar 11
Prepared: 1100utc Wednesday, March 11, 2009
SummaryÖ
1) Looks like there is a trough of low pressure off to the SW of you
2) Sat pics show a fair amount of clouds with embedded showers/squalls
between 12-15s/58-62e and think this has been responsible for the more WSW
flow
3) As you are moving further away from it, flow more WNW
a) probably best wind next few hours then flow may lighten again
4) Sat pics also a line of clouds/showers off to the E of you
a) more patchy broken clouds between the Equator and 6s
5) So, will have varying amounts of clouds next couple of days along with a
couple scattered showers
6) Models usually awful trying to depict wind direction/speed thru this area
7) Like coming NNE/NE today and holding that until wind comes further right
8) Expect the flow to clock tonight/Thurs and become more NNW to N to NE
a) not confident on timing of wind shifting and may occur sooner
9) Suggest going NNE as best you can with the WNW flow
10) Can then come more NNW to N with the clocking wind later tonight and
Thurs
11) Wind looks to become more NE to ENE to the north of 5S and may be a
little more consistent
12) Flow will become more E and NE north of 5s
a) should have a little more consistency in wind speed/direction north of
5s as well
Routing
Suggest heading NNE or NE and getting best boat speed ñ flow likely to shift
further right overnight. maybe aim near 6 30s-7s/63 or so, then come more
NNW and aim around 0/62-62 30E as wind becomes NE ñ basically, like getting
more E next 12 hours or so.
some estimated positions below
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, and time is UTC
Wed, Mar 11
14: 290-310/ 9-14
18: 280-310/ 6-11
WeatherÖPartly cloudy. There could be a passing shower tonight
Seas 5-6 feet
Thu, Mar 12
00: 300-320/ 5-10
06: 320-350/ 5-9
12: 030-050/ 5-10, near 6 30S/63E – heading NNW to N
18: 050-070/ 5-10
WeatherÖVariable clouds with a couple scattered showers.
S Seas of 5-6 feet
Fri, Mar 13
00: 070-090/ 5-10
06: 060-080/ 5-10
12: 040-060/ 5-10, near 3 30S/62 20E
18: 050-070/ 5-10
WeatherÖPartly cloudy, maybe a shower.
Seas 3-5 ft
Sat, Mar 14
00: 050-070/ 7-13
06: 060-080/ 8-14
12: 060-080/ 8-14, near 0S/62 10E
18: 050-070/10-15
WeatherÖPartly cloudy
Seas 3-4 ft
Sun, Mar 15
00: 050-070/ 8-15
06: 050-070/ 8-15
12: 050-070/10-15, near 4 15N/61 20E
18: 050-070/10-15
WeatherÖPartly cloudy
Seas 3-4 ft
Mon, Mar 16
00: 050-070/10-15
12: 060-080/10-15, near 9 45N/60 45E
WeatherÖPartly cloudy
Seas 3-4 ft
Best regards, George Caras
—
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF JANUARY 1, 2008, OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS :
info@commandersweather.com
Commanders Weather Corp.
Tel: 603-882-6789
To: Charles Darbyshire , Musandam ,updateoman
Subject: weather
Date: 11/03/2009 11:37:35
To: Charles Darbyshire and the crew of
ìMusandamî
From: Commanders Weather Corp
Event: sail around the world
Last Position: 9 45s/62 03e at 1000utc Wed, Mar 11
Prepared: 1100utc Wednesday, March 11, 2009
SummaryÖ
1) Looks like there is a trough of low pressure off to the SW of you
2) Sat pics show a fair amount of clouds with embedded showers/squalls
between 12-15s/58-62e and think this has been responsible for the more WSW
flow
3) As you are moving further away from it, flow more WNW
a) probably best wind next few hours then flow may lighten again
4) Sat pics also a line of clouds/showers off to the E of you
a) more patchy broken clouds between the Equator and 6s
5) So, will have varying amounts of clouds next couple of days along with a
couple scattered showers
6) Models usually awful trying to depict wind direction/speed thru this area
7) Like coming NNE/NE today and holding that until wind comes further right
8) Expect the flow to clock tonight/Thurs and become more NNW to N to NE
a) not confident on timing of wind shifting and may occur sooner
9) Suggest going NNE as best you can with the WNW flow
10) Can then come more NNW to N with the clocking wind later tonight and
Thurs
11) Wind looks to become more NE to ENE to the north of 5S and may be a
little more consistent
12) Flow will become more E and NE north of 5s
a) should have a little more consistency in wind speed/direction north of
5s as well
Routing
Suggest heading NNE or NE and getting best boat speed ñ flow likely to shift
further right overnight. maybe aim near 6 30s-7s/63 or so, then come more
NNW and aim around 0/62-62 30E as wind becomes NE ñ basically, like getting
more E next 12 hours or so.
some estimated positions below
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, and time is UTC
Wed, Mar 11
14: 290-310/ 9-14
18: 280-310/ 6-11
WeatherÖPartly cloudy. There could be a passing shower tonight
Seas 5-6 feet
Thu, Mar 12
00: 300-320/ 5-10
06: 320-350/ 5-9
12: 030-050/ 5-10, near 6 30S/63E – heading NNW to N
18: 050-070/ 5-10
WeatherÖVariable clouds with a couple scattered showers.
S Seas of 5-6 feet
Fri, Mar 13
00: 070-090/ 5-10
06: 060-080/ 5-10
12: 040-060/ 5-10, near 3 30S/62 20E
18: 050-070/ 5-10
WeatherÖPartly cloudy, maybe a shower.
Seas 3-5 ft
Sat, Mar 14
00: 050-070/ 7-13
06: 060-080/ 8-14
12: 060-080/ 8-14, near 0S/62 10E
18: 050-070/10-15
WeatherÖPartly cloudy
Seas 3-4 ft
Sun, Mar 15
00: 050-070/ 8-15
06: 050-070/ 8-15
12: 050-070/10-15, near 4 15N/61 20E
18: 050-070/10-15
WeatherÖPartly cloudy
Seas 3-4 ft
Mon, Mar 16
00: 050-070/10-15
12: 060-080/10-15, near 9 45N/60 45E
WeatherÖPartly cloudy
Seas 3-4 ft
Best regards, George Caras
—
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: