Skip to main content

Great Miles

We've been making great progress, which I suspect you can see on the tracker. I had hoped to smash the 180 nautical mile barrier in the last 24 hours. We managed 90 nautical miles in 12 hours, but the average dropped during the very early morning. Conditions are perfect, and we've picked up a solid southeast breeze hovering around 13 knots, giving us a great push in the right direction. The long-term weather forecast suggests we can expect to keep this breeze for at least the next ten days.

It's completely overcast again this morning, but yesterday we started to see some blue skies and fluffy clouds, the kind of weather you'd expect with the trade winds. We're still seeing fishing boats from China and Korea, harvesting whatever they can from the rich waters of the Galapagos. And these aren't small boats – they're over 60 meters, so their appetite is huge.

 We haven't had any splashes on deck, and there are only occasional whitecaps, so I had my hatch open about 20mm to get some air into the cabin.
Yesterday, I noticed a distinct oceanic olfactory offense but couldn't find the culprit for quite a while. It turns out a slightly plump flying fish (I'm not looking to fat-shame the poor thing) whose girth must have been 21mm was wedged in the tiny gap of the hatch. Luckily, I hadn't opened the hatch 22mm or I would have been washing bedsheets all day!

To my absolute amazement, it's still cold! Like socks at nighttime cold, and now at 7 am I'm wearing jeans and a thick long-sleeve top.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Off We Go

The dream of a seamless yacht delivery aboard the Fontaine Pajot 47 seemed like a solid plan. However, life, with its unpredictable currents, threw us a curveball. My trusted crewmate was struck by the ever-present Covid! Even though he's as tough as old sea boots, it definitely slowed him down. The pre-departure days were a delicate balancing act. While the initial concerns about a sick crewmate were undeniable, a strong sense of purpose took hold. Provisioning, finalizing paperwork, and familiarizing myself with Namarie became a mission with Craig putting in 110% effort despite his 20% health. Constant communication with my recuperating crewmate ensured a smooth handover of duties, keeping the team spirit alive despite maintaining physical separation and wearing masks. Stepping aboard Namarie, the initial awe at her sleek lines and luxurious interior was palpable. However, the euphoria was tempered by a healthy dose of respect for the vessel's complexity. The sophisticated na...
Post a Comment
Read more

Last 24hrs

This is our last full day and night at sea. Tomorrow, we'll be tied up in the marina in Tahiti , and I'll be turning off the engines for the last time. The main and headsail will be dropped and stowed away, and I won't be touching the sheets or halyards again. It feels peculiar to think that Namarie and I have kept each other safe throughout this incredible journey, and in a few days, I'll be on a plane heading home. On this yacht delivery Namarie and I started in the Bay of Biscay and headed south into the Atlantic, getting to know each other along the way. We made a brief stop in the Canary Islands, our last contact with Europe before heading further south and leaving footprints in the red dust of Cape Verde. We left West Africa behind and headed further west across the Atlantic, dodging hurricanes and grabbing fuel and provisions in the southern end of the Caribbean. From there, we pushed onwards through the Caribbean Sea to Panama and the canal. Pretty soon after, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Banana For Scale

Today, let's take a moment to reflect on the journey so far and what lies ahead. Forget bananas for scale – this adventure is measured in Atlantic crossings! We've already completed roughly one such crossing, getting to Cape Verde from La Rochelle. Another awaits us to reach the Caribbean, followed by half an Atlantic crossing from the Caribbean to Panama, and then… buckle up… two more Atlantic crossings to reach Tahiti from Panama! While traversing the Atlantic is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most, doing it back-to-back is a whole new level of adventure. Thankfully, we have some incredible technology on our side: exceptionally detailed weather models that provide reliable forecasts up to 10 days out. Considering our average daily distance is around 150 nautical miles, that means we can see weather developing 1500nm in front of us and plan around that! We primarily rely on ECMWF and GFS models to track weather patterns. For the past 7 days, we've been closely monitor...
Post a Comment
Read more