Pacific Ocean, 146NM W of Aitutaki
Wind started reducing over night, making for a bit of struggle with slatting sails and windvane that didn’t quite get enough input from the apparent wind. But as our electric autopilot has been out of order, we kept correcting the windvane whenever it drifted off course. Sometimes every few minutes, and sometimes hours would pass without intervention.
In the morning we decided to try fixing the autopilot, and were able to do so. The deck plug is still a bit fiddly and will need replacement. But at least now we have a solution for light airs.
Today’s expected entertainment was the re-entry of an ESA satellite, Samba. ESA had asked cruisers to try and capture video of it, but sadly we were either too far north, or the noon sun too bright to see anything. We’ll try again with the Tango satellite tomorrow.
In the afternoon wind finally reached the threshold where we couldn’t sail, and so we are now motoring directly towards Niue. Wind should pick up as we pass the Palmerston atoll.
- Distance today: 105NM
- Lunch: spaghetti aglio e olio
- Engine hours: 1.5
| Time |
Position |
Course |
Speed |
Log |
Weather |
Remarks |
| 31.08. 4:00 Z |
18°39'6"S
160°34'22"W
|
301°
|
5.8kt
|
19034.3NM
|
wind
16.5kt
82°
sea state 5/10
clouds 2/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1016 hPa
|
bergie on watch
|
| 31.08. 4:19 Z |
18°38'41"S
160°36'16"W
|
276°
|
5.9kt
|
19036.2NM
|
wind
13.5kt
84°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Pumped the bilge as a precaution. Wasn't much
|
| 31.08. 4:59 Z |
18°38'1"S
160°40'10"W
|
269°
|
5.2kt
|
19039.9NM
|
wind
15.4kt
82°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 5:59 Z |
18°37'37"S
160°46'15"W
|
260°
|
5.2kt
|
19045.8NM
|
wind
13.2kt
81°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 6:59 Z |
18°37'30"S
160°52'12"W
|
268°
|
7kt
|
19051.4NM
|
wind
15.1kt
78°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 7:59 Z |
18°37'28"S
160°57'51"W
|
278°
|
4.6kt
|
19056.9NM
|
wind
10.8kt
77°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 8:59 Z |
18°36'57"S
161°3'2"W
|
272°
|
3.4kt
|
19061.8NM
|
wind
15.9kt
71°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 10:00 Z |
18°36'15"S
161°8'9"W
|
288°
|
4kt
|
19066.8NM
|
wind
14.6kt
77°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Suski on watch
|
| 31.08. 10:02 Z |
18°36'12"S
161°8'21"W
|
291°
|
5.1kt
|
19067.0NM
|
wind
12.2kt
79°
sea state 4/10
clouds 0/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1018 hPa
|
The moon! For so long we have sailed during new moon that it is refreshing to have moonlight illuminating the sea again!
|
| 31.08. 11:00 Z |
18°35'45"S
161°12'37"W
|
284°
|
2.6kt
|
19071.1NM
|
wind
12.3kt
72°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 11:59 Z |
18°35'26"S
161°16'56"W
|
253°
|
5.3kt
|
19075.3NM
|
wind
10.5kt
71°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 12:59 Z |
18°34'52"S
161°21'6"W
|
299°
|
4.6kt
|
19079.3NM
|
wind
10.9kt
78°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 13:59 Z |
18°33'58"S
161°25'7"W
|
286°
|
4.4kt
|
19083.2NM
|
wind
10.3kt
79°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 14:59 Z |
18°32'53"S
161°29'20"W
|
327°
|
2.2kt
|
19087.4NM
|
wind
10.9kt
88°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 15:59 Z |
18°31'54"S
161°33'9"W
|
246°
|
3.4kt
|
19091.2NM
|
wind
9.7kt
72°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 16:00 Z |
18°31'54"S
161°33'13"W
|
278°
|
4.6kt
|
19091.3NM
|
wind
9.7kt
76°
sea state 4/10
clouds 1/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1017 hPa
|
bergie on watch
|
| 31.08. 16:59 Z |
18°31'2"S
161°37'27"W
|
285°
|
5.3kt
|
19095.5NM
|
wind
9.8kt
81°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 17:52 Z |
18°24'10"S
161°35'52"W
|
|
|
|
sea state 4/10
|
Sun sight, Zn 0.0°, intercept 0.00 NM toward
|
| 31.08. 17:53 Z |
69°20'27"S
161°35'49"W
|
282°
|
0kt
|
19099.2NM
|
sea state 4/10
|
Manual fix from Sun sight (running fix, advanced from fix #4), residual 3058.4 NM, 3058.3 NM at 180°T from DR
|
| 31.08. 17:56 Z |
18°30'7"S
161°41'25"W
|
286°
|
0kt
|
19099.4NM
|
sea state 4/10
|
GPS fix, 3052.4 NM at 000°T from DR
|
| 31.08. 17:59 Z |
18°30'4"S
161°41'38"W
|
283°
|
4.2kt
|
19099.6NM
|
wind
11.9kt
90°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 18:59 Z |
18°28'55"S
161°45'51"W
|
307°
|
3.9kt
|
19103.8NM
|
wind
12kt
94°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 19:59 Z |
18°28'28"S
161°50'4"W
|
265°
|
6.3kt
|
19107.9NM
|
wind
12.5kt
86°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 20:45 Z |
18°26'4"S
161°53'8"W
|
|
|
|
sea state 4/10
|
Sun sight, Zn 0.0°, intercept 0.00 NM toward
|
| 31.08. 20:59 Z |
18°27'57"S
161°53'50"W
|
288°
|
2.8kt
|
19111.6NM
|
wind
9.3kt
87°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Autopilot activated
|
| 31.08. 21:00 Z |
18°27'57"S
161°53'52"W
|
279°
|
5.6kt
|
19111.6NM
|
wind
9.9kt
78°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Autopilot deactivated, turns out it is steering the wrong way since we rewired it. Windvane steering
|
| 31.08. 21:12 Z |
18°27'50"S
161°54'35"W
|
269°
|
3.3kt
|
19112.3NM
|
wind
8.8kt
90°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Autopilot activated. We flipped the wires on the plug.
|
| 31.08. 22:00 Z |
18°27'7"S
161°57'25"W
|
277°
|
3.3kt
|
19115.1NM
|
wind
10.8kt
81°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Suski on watch
|
| 31.08. 22:14 Z |
18°26'47"S
161°58'14"W
|
296°
|
3kt
|
19116.0NM
|
wind
9kt
85°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Watermaker on
|
| 31.08. 22:38 Z |
18°26'23"S
161°59'27"W
|
284°
|
2.9kt
|
19117.2NM
|
wind
8.6kt
93°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Watermaker 437ppm
|
| 31.08. 22:59 Z |
18°26'0"S
162°0'29"W
|
309°
|
3.1kt
|
19118.2NM
|
wind
8.1kt
95°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 31.08. 23:59 Z |
18°24'39"S
162°3'8"W
|
268°
|
3.5kt
|
19121.1NM
|
wind
8kt
93°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 01.09. 0:22 Z |
18°24'3"S
162°4'2"W
|
300°
|
3.6kt
|
19122.1NM
|
wind
7.1kt
99°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Watermaker 334ppm
|
| 01.09. 0:37 Z |
18°23'41"S
162°4'31"W
|
337°
|
2.3kt
|
19122.7NM
|
wind
7kt
106°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Sails down, motoring
|
| 01.09. 0:59 Z |
18°23'52"S
162°6'4"W
|
236°
|
4.4kt
|
19124.2NM
|
wind
6.8kt
117°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 01.09. 1:55 Z |
18°25'11"S
162°10'2"W
|
256°
|
5.5kt
|
19128.2NM
|
wind
7.5kt
105°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Watermaker 287ppm. Stopped.
|
| 01.09. 1:59 Z |
18°25'17"S
162°10'19"W
|
247°
|
3.9kt
|
19128.5NM
|
wind
7.9kt
103°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 01.09. 2:59 Z |
18°25'55"S
162°14'46"W
|
276°
|
4.7kt
|
19132.8NM
|
wind
7kt
95°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|