Flash Low

March 3, 2019

Day 150

Noon Position: 47 25S  129 33W

Course(t)/Speed(kts): E 7

Wind(t/tws): WNW 25

Sea(t/ft): NW W N to 8

Sky: Overcast with drizzle

10ths Cloud Cover: 10

Bar(mb): 993, rising slowly

Cabin Temp(f): 61

Water Temp(f): 52

Relative Humidity(%): 85

Sail: Working jib, 3 reefs; main, two reefs. Close reaching on port tack.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 102

Miles since departure: 20,572

Avg. Miles/Day: 137

Days since Cape Horn: 93

Miles since Cape Horn: 12,931

Avg. Miles/Day: 139

Longitude Degrees Made Good (degrees minutes): 2 30

Total Longitude Made Good Since Cape Horn (degrees minutes): 298 59

Avg. Long./Day: 3.22

Mo rode out a flash low today. That’s not, that I’m aware of, a meteorological term, but rather is how I describe a low that appears to develop and dissipate quickly right on your position. This one dropped down on us from just to the north and brought northerlies in the high 20s.

I cancelled an interview with Matt Rutherford for this morning so I could deal with a day of dynamic happenings and felt bad because winds were simply brisk at that moment.

Really, I anticipated no sea, given it was all happening right here. Quite wrong. We’ve been working through short but upright seas from several directions for hours. Mo, thrown to the gunnels regularly. Randall, holding on with both hands any time he’s not propped into a corner.

Also wrong: that it would be of short duration. Winds stayed high until sunset.

Also wrong: that wind would stay NW (that’s the forecast talking now). Winds are currently well south of west. I’m running wing and wing, and it would take an hour to wear around. So, for the moment we’re riding out a course ENE when all we want is east.

Batteries are low. The downhaul lanyard on the Watt and Sea parted, again, and about four hours into today’s charging cycle. It seems I get about a month’s service out of that lanyard, and then it chafes through on something I have yet to discover. Not the kind of day to be hanging over the stern. Hopefully can get to it tomorrow.

One Comment on “Flash Low

  1. am still following, the most impactful for me, and I would imagine others following, are the pictures of the wild seas you encounter. Pulling strongly for your success. I will not say, “I wish I was there”, you are “the best ,and only real sailing news” while you are out-there, believe, you are not alone in the spirits of us that wish we could do what you are doing, all the best for the mighty “mo”. No sacrilege intended for any navy veterans.

Leave a Reply