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Keeping north

Another day, another set of miles under our belt. Yesterday’s 24-hour run clocked in at 136 nautical miles, which, considering the conditions, I'm pretty happy with. It wasn't exactly a world record, but we made progress.

The morning started off promisingly. The breeze picked up, and we had a good chunk of the day sailing along at a decent clip. It's always a good feeling to be moving under sail, especially when you’re making good time. Unfortunately, the wind decided to take an early afternoon nap around 3 PM, so we dropped the main and switched back to motoring, just on one engine to save fuel. Using 2 engines on a cat we typically go around 20 to 25% faster but use twice as much fuel so the pay off, especially at sea, isn't worth it.

Then, around 5 PM, things got interesting. The sky to the east started to darken ominously, and before we knew it, we were engulfed by a massive squall. I'm talking 40 knots of wind and pouring rain. It was one of those moments where you’re just glad you’ve got a solid boat under you. I decided to pull out a bit of the headsail – hey, you might as well make miles while you can. We were hitting 7 to 8 knots, even touching 10 on the face of some of the bigger waves. It was a bit of a thrill ride, but it only lasted about 30 or 40 minutes. Then, just like that, it was over, and we were back to motoring, which we’ve been doing all night with 5 to 6 knts of breeze from right behind.

One thing that’s been on my mind is the unusual weather patterns we’re seeing. There are currently three cyclones to the south of us, which is pretty rare. I’m guessing it’s a combination of warmer than average sea temperatures and the Madden-Julian Oscillation moving through. Honestly, I hope this doesn’t become the norm with the way sea temperatures are rising. It’s definitely not going to make my job any easier.

And speaking of cyclones, yesterday’s GFS forecast was showing something potentially developing near Fiji around the 9th - luckily its not showing on this mornings update. Now, I know weather forecasts that far out aren’t always spot-on, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. You can’t afford to ignore potential threats, especially when you’re out here. And other things to keep an eye on, the wildlife situation out here is… well, it’s non-existent. We saw a few flying fish when we first left, and that was about it, until yesterday. Then, we had a visitor. A huge bird decided to land on our dinghy davits, like it owned the place. Now, I’m all for appreciating nature, but this guy was getting a little too comfortable. I wasn’t keen on cleaning up the mess he was threatening to make. So, a quick whack with the deck brush sent him on his way. A bit harsh, maybe, but I prefer a clean deck.

It's amazing how isolating it can be out here. The vastness of the ocean really hits you when you realize how little life there is around. It's just us, the boat, and the endless horizon. It's a constant balancing act  – trying to make the most of the conditions while staying aware of potential hazards. Every day brings its own set of challenges, but that’s what makes it interesting. 

Anyway, we’ll keep pushing forward. Let’s see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully, a bit more consistent wind and maybe a little less drama!



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