Drina reported position 2200hrs UTC on 12-12/2010 as 43°12'S and 150°36"W.

Here is the mail with only some slight redactions...

Dear Kerro, Thanks for the weather it is much appreciated but very scary to read. We have low behind us which may catch us in the next day or so. At present have 18knots from the north and sailing well,. It is graduly swinging to the NW Miday today which is 2200 hours 12th we where at 43 12s 150 36 w with 3278 to go and speed of 6.5 on a course off 80 True. We are both well. Yesterday we went over a Orca whale. Alex saw it under the boat?? Alex is having trouble with the position reporting application so no reports to Shiptrack or YotReports since we crossed the date line. If you can sort this out with Pangolin in NZ that would be great. Paul Kerrigan

Strewth: Jan 2010
Bathurst Harbour
Check Drina's latest position, click the link below.
 http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

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News from the Chile bound adventurers...

Hi All,

It's bee n a long couple of days since the last news from Drina...  So I have to admit to being a little relieved when a mail arrived late this afternoon.  The good news is that all's well on board, though a little chilly, not Chile... Both the heaters are now being deployed all the time to maintain a comfortable environment below deck.  The fuel situation is better than expected and they have only used one of the two fuel bladders that they have on deck. My DR position had them at 44.5S and 165W... However Michael reports that they are only 43.5S and 170W approximately.  They have been running under double reefed main and a small scrap of polled out stay sail for three days in about 35 to 40 knots.   So much for the weather analysis that suggested they should have experienced SW winds for the last 3 days...

Michael reports that the water generator, (counter intuitively it generates electricity) is working very well.  So well in fact that he doesn't need to run the diesel to charge the batteries.  Down side is that he has to run the diesel every couple of hours so that it doesn't get too cold to start when he needs it.  So it seems it's six of one and a half dozen of the other.  In any case all this electricity means that the deep freeze has been in good order for the trip so far.  They are reaching the end of the fresh food and Alex is now eating defrosted peas and beans, while Michael is enjoying unfrozen beef and lamb....  with peas and  beans!

They have about 3700 NM to go via the great circle route and plan to dip down into the high forties or low 50S on the passage.  I've checked the ice edge with the Aussie BOM only to find that Casey Station is experiencing difficulties transmitting the data to Canberra.  Consequently there are no ICE edge Sat images to see.  After a few mails I've now established a link with one of the techo's at BOM and I'm in the loop.  So I'm sending word pictures of the ice edge to Drina...

That's all for now, All the best PK

Paul Kerrigan

Strewth: Jan 2010
Bathurst Harbour
Check Drina's latest position, click the link below.
 http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

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Understanding how the economy works...

I was sitting quietly at my keyboard this afternoon, and a mail arrived from an old friend of mine in Tasmaina, as follows...

"Wikileaks: Law Students Blacklisted?

Links to Wikileaks could get you into a heap of trouble.  That's the message being sent to students at Boston University Law School who were warned in an e-mail from the Career Development office that they could violate federal law if they read confidential documents posted on the site.

What?"

Check it out here...

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/firstamendment/2010/12/students-advised-not-to-accecss-wikileaks.html

They might as well make it a fedral offence to read the NYT or pass around old copies of the Washington Post, or God forbid watch Fox News...  Where do these jokers get their ideas from in a (so called) free society.  It makes me want to weep... (sob)

And just as I was getting all fired up about the mess the US is making of the Wiki thing, a little note arrived from another good mate, explaining how the economy works...  Unfortunately he can't or won't tell me who wrote the explaination so I can't provide any atributation.  So I'll just quote the thing verbatim, enjoy!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mary is the proprietor of a bar in Dublin. She realises that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronise her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans).

Word gets around about Mary's "drink now, pay later" marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Mary's bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume for any bar in Dublin.

Mary is the proprietor of a bar in Dublin. She realises that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronise her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans).

Word gets around about Mary's "drink now, pay later" marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Mary's bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume for any bar in Dublin.

By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Mary gets no resistance when, at regular intervals, she substantially increases her prices for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages. Consequently, Mary's gross sales volume increases massively. A young and dynamic vice-president at the local bank recognises that these customer debts constitute valuable future assets and increases Mary's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for any undue concern, since he has the debts of the unemployed alcoholics as collateral.

At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders figure a way to make huge commissions, and transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then bundled and traded on international security markets. Naive investors don't really understand that the securities being sold to them as AAA secured bonds are really the debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, the bond prices continuously climb, and the securities soon become the hottest-selling items for some of the nation's leading brokerage houses.

One day, even though the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the original local bank decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Mary's bar. He so informs Mary.

Mary then demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed alcoholics they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Since Mary cannot fulfill her loan obligations she is forced into bankruptcy. The bar closes and the eleven employees lose their jobs.

Overnight, DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS drop in price by 90%. The collapsed bond asset value destroys the banks' liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans, thus freezing credit and economic activity in the community.

The suppliers of Mary's bar had granted her generous payment extensions and had invested their firms' pension funds in the various BOND securities. They find they are now faced with having to write off her bad debt and with losing over 90% of the presumed value of the bonds. Her wine supplier also claims bankruptcy, closing the doors on a family business that had endured for three generations, her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 150 workers.

Fortunately though, the bank, the brokerage houses and their respective executives are saved and bailed out by a multi-billion euro no-strings attached cash infusion from their cronies in Government. The funds required for this bailout are obtained by new taxes levied on employed, middle-class, non-drinkers who have never been in Mary's bar.

Now, do you understand economics in 2010?"

Paul Kerrigan

Strewth: Jan 2010
Bathurst Harbour
Check Drina's latest position, click the link below.
 http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

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News from Drina but no Position report for the second day...

I had a mail from Drina overnight and can report that all's well on board and they continue sailing in fairly light winds and fog...

As I expected they are having trouble with HF propagation, i.e. their signal is not stable enough for long data transmission such as GRIB files and long email reports.  So communication is a little hit and miss at the moment.  Mike doesn't have a HF signal propagation application on his laptop that would help him predict the best times and frequencies for HF transmission, I suggested it however he's a bit of a Luddite when it comes to these things and decided he'd never work out how to use it... 

Their DR position according to me should be 143°27'S and 172°06'W  as of 0300 UTC yesterday.  That puts them about 180 miles east and slightly north of Chatham Islands.  As far as I can see, though I'm still researching this, the next land could well be Robinson Crusoe Island.  Though they may decide to pass south of the Island depending on conditions over the next few weeks.

A map of the island...

Here is a picture of Robinson...

And here is a picture of the fishing port on the island...

And the main street...

And the Port proper...

 

The Island lies about 33.6°S and 78.8°W  roughly the same latitude as Sydney.  It

 is the largest island of the Chilean Juan Fernández archipelago, situated 674 kilometres west of South America in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is made up of three islands, Robinson Crusoe, Alejandro Selkirk and the small Santa Clara.

Robinson Crusoe has a population of 500–600 living in the village of San Juan Bautista. Although the community maintains a rustic serenity dependent on the spiny lobster trade, residents employ a few vehicles, a satellite internetconnection, and many television sets. There is an airstrip^[

9]^[10] on the island, near the tip of the island's southwestern peninsula. The flying time from Santiago de Chile is just under three hours,^[11] and there is a ferry from the airstrip to San Juan Bautista.

Tourists number in the hundreds per year. One activity gaining popularity is scuba diving, particularly on the wreck of the German light cruiser SMS Dresden, which was scuttled in Cumberland Bay during the Battle of Más a Tierra during the First World War.

All the above thanks to Google Maps and Wiki...

Paul Kerrigan

Strewth: Jan 2010
Bathurst Harbour
Check Drina's latest position, click the link below.
 http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

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Drina, no position report overnight 5/11/2010...

Drina is not on the list of overnight reports for the 5/12/2010.  So I've estimated a DR position for yesterday  based on her last course and speed and a little extra for the new wind that was forecast for her area over the last 24hrs.

Her DR Position is 42° 28'S and 175° 23'W.  That puts her about 85 miles NE of Chatham Islands.

The weather in that location you can work out yourself from the local forecast I've included below.

Issued by MetService at: 12:57pm 6 December 2010

Valid to: 12:00am 8 December 2010

Forecast: 

Northwest 20 knots. Changing southwest 30 knots in the morning. Sea becoming rough. Southwest swell rising to 3 metres. Northwest swell 1 metre dying out.

Outlook: 

Outlook following 3 days: Rising Wednesday morning southwest 40 knots with very rough sea, easing late Wednesday 30 knots and Friday 20 knots. Southwest swell becoming heavy Wednesday, easing Friday.

New issues of this forecast are made available on this site at or before:

2:15am, 6:15am, 2:15pm, 6:15pm

Updates and amendments may be issued at any time.

Heres a link to another site that plots her position, though in this case only the last 2 weeks of plots.

http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=VJ3519

Paul Kerrigan

Strewth: Jan 2010
Bathurst Harbour
Check Drina's latest position, click the link below.
 http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

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Here is another view, more insightful and perhaps important. Perhaps I'll not banish the S word after all, just ask the questions she can't answer...

Fifty years ago, in the midst of his presidential campaign against Richard Nixon, Sen. John F. Kennedy gave a speech to ease voters' concerns about his Catholic faith. Speaking in Houston, Kennedy emphasized that Article VI of the Constitution maintains that no "religious test" may keep a candidate from aspiring to political office. He went further, implying that his Catholicism should be off limits to public scrutiny. To treat a politician's religious beliefs as politically relevant was an affront to America's noblest civic traditions, he declared.

The speech was a huge success -- and not only because it helped Kennedy win. Its most enduring legacy was to persuade journalists, critics and citizens at large not to question the political implications of candidates' religious beliefs. While it was still acceptable to assess the dangers of generic "religion" in public life, evaluating particular faiths came to be viewed as bigotry.

No longer. Since the rise of the religious right in the late 1970s, traditionalist believers have actively injected faith into the political realm, pushing public figures to place their religious convictions at the core of their civic identities and political campaigns. From Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush, U.S. presidents have made overt -- and largely innocuous -- gestures toward satisfying this expectation.

Today, President Obama's religious beliefs are at the forefront of public debate. While Fox News personality Glenn Beck decries Obama's alleged left-leaning Christianity as "liberation theology," nearly a fifth of the country believes, mistakenly, that the president is a Muslim. It is tempting to stick with the old Kennedy argument and respond that the president's faith is irrelevant as well as off limits. But

The battles over an Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan and a Florida pastor's threat to burn the Koran on Sept. 11 underscore the relevance of political leaders' views on faith -- their own as well as others'. Instead of attempting the impossible task of abolishing faith from the political conversation, we need a new kind of religious test for our leaders. Unlike the tests proscribed by the Constitution, this one would not threaten to formally bar members of specific traditions from public office. But religious convictions do not always harmonize with the practice of democratic government, and allowing voters to explore the dissonance is legitimate.

Every religion is radically particular, with its own distinctive beliefs about God, human history and the world. These are specific, concrete claims -- about the status of the religious community in relation to other groups and to the nation as a whole, about the character of political and divine authority, about the place of prophecy in religious and political life, about the scope of human knowledge, about the providential role of God in human history, and about the moral and legal status of sex. Depending on where believers come down on such issues, their faith may or may not clash with the requirements of democratic politics. To help us make that determination, all candidates for high office should have to take the religious test, which would include the following questions:

This would apply primarily to candidates who belong to churches that make strong claims about the divine authority of their leaders. The Roman Catholic hierarchy, for example, has frequently asserted that the authority of the pope and bishops is binding in matters of faith and morals. As Sen. John F. Kerry learned during his 2004 presidential campaign, members of the hierarchy have begun to demand that Catholic politicians not only refrain from having abortions and encouraging women to procure them, but also work to outlaw the procedure -- even though the Supreme Court has declared it a constitutionally protected right, and even if the candidate's constituents are overwhelmingly pro-choice.

The dilemma faced by devout Mormon candidates is potentially greater. Mormons believe that the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a prophet of God, which seems to give his statements far greater weight than those of any earthly authority, including the president of the United States. In his campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney skirted questions related to his Mormonism by playing down its theological distinctiveness. "The values that I have are the same values you will find in faiths across this country,"Romney said in one debate. If he (or another Mormon) runs for the presidency in 2012 or beyond, he should explain how he would respond to a prophetic pronouncement that conflicted with his presidential duties.

What do you believe human beings can know about nature and history?

Many evangelical Protestants and Pentecostals believe in biblical inerrancy, which leads them to treat the findings of natural science (especially those of evolutionary biology) with suspicion. Many of these Christians also believe that God regularly intervenes in history, directing global events, guiding U.S. actions in the world for the sake of divine ends and perhaps even leading humanity toward an apocalyptic conflagration in the Middle East. Potential candidates who belong to churches associated with such thinking, such as the Pentecostal Sarah Palin, owe it to their fellow citizens to elaborate on their views of modern science and the U.S. role in the unfolding of the end times. Given the ominous implications of a person with strong eschatological convictions becoming the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth, it would be profoundly irresponsible not to ask tough questions about the topic.

Do you believe the law should be used to impose and enforce religious views of sexual morality?

America's traditional religious consensus on sexual morality -- which supported laws against abortion and all forms of non-procreative sex, from masturbation to oral and anal sex, whether practiced by members of the same or different genders, inside or outside of marriage -- began to break down in the 1960s. The nation today is sharply divided between those whose views of sex are still grounded in the norms and customs of traditionalist religion and those who no longer feel bound by those norms and customs. Given this lack of consensus, the law has understandably retreated from enforcing religiously grounded views, leaving it up to individuals to decide how to regulate their sexual conduct.

The religious right hopes to reverse this retreat. That opens the troubling prospect of the state seeking to impose the sexual morals of some Americans on the nation as a whole. All candidates -- especially those who court the support of the religious right -- need to clarify where they stand on the issue. Above all, they need to indicate whether they believe it is possible or desirable to use the force of law to uphold a sexual morality affirmed by a fraction of the people.

Asking candidates about their faith should not be taken as a sign of anti-religious animus. On the contrary, this sort of questioning takes faith seriously -- certainly more seriously than most of our politicians and news media currently do. Candidates think they benefit from making a show of their faith, and journalists, aiming to avoid uncomfortable confrontations, usually allow them to leave their pronouncements at the level of platitudes. We need to go further.

Pastor Rick Warren's conversation with John McCain and Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign was a move in the right direction, though Warren was such an anodyne interviewer that the candidates were permitted to speak mainly in bromides. Better, perhaps, would be a special presidential debate devoted to faith and morality, in which journalists and religious leaders would pose pointed questions about candidates' beliefs.

It matters quite a lot if, in the end, a politician's faith is merely an ecumenical expression of American civil religion -- or if, when taking the religious test, he forthrightly declares (as Kennedy did) that in the event of a clash between his spiritual and political allegiances, the Constitution would always come first. Those are the easy cases. In others -- when a politician denies the need to choose or explain, insisting simply that it's possible to marry his or her religious beliefs with democratic rule in a pluralistic society -- we need to dig deeper, to determine as best we can how the candidate is likely to think and act when the divergent demands of those two realms collide, as they inevitably will.

Obama's 2008 speech on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his own Christian faith and its complicated intersection with the wrenching story of race in America stands as a particularly eloquent example of how to take -- and pass -- the religious test. Obama resisted giving the speech, but many Americans learned something important about the man and his mind as they listened to him talk through some of life's deepest moral, political and spiritual questions. A political process that compelled candidates to engage regularly in such thinking about the tensions and links between faith and governance just might foster increased religious understanding -- which, these days, feels in short supply.

damon_linker@yahoo.com

Posted via email from PK's Sailing posts

Sarah P...

The other day I read a couple of articles on the infamous vacuum S Palin, recently failed VP candidate for the recent presidential election in the US, actually not so recent.  While reading his granddaughter's defense of JFK's position on the seperation of the state and religion against remarks made my S Palin, I wondered why bother... No one, in possession of their senses, would equate these two people, would they?  Who cares what S Palin believes or has been told to believe, she is simply not in the same game as JFK.  So I wondered on the wisdom of JFK's grand daughter's defense. Possibly best leave Sarah alone to cry nonsense in the wilderness of ignorance. 

Then, within days, I read a second piece by another blogger who it seems agrees with me.  I've included the links to the articles below so you can make your own judgement.  As for me, the Sarah word will no longer have a place in my lexicon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/opinion/04blow.html?src=me&ref=general

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/03/AR2010120303209.html?wpisrc=nl_most

Paul Kerrigan

Strewth: Jan 2010
Bathurst Harbour
Check Drina's latest position, click the link below.
 http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

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Drina crosses the date line...

At about 1200hrs local Sydney time on the 4th of December Drina reported her position as 41.27°S and 178.43°W or 17 miles west of the date line.  Because they are at sea they use the UTC convention for ship's time and date.  Even though they are west of Chatham Islands their date is 03/12/2010 while those on the island to the East of the are already on the 04/12/2010.  That's because Chatham Islands are in the NZ time zone and the de-facto date line is considered to be to the east of them.  So the convention is that land based communities can decide their own date and time within reason, while those at sea must follow the pole to pole meridians and move the clock one hour for every 15° east or west of 180° Longitude, otherwise known as UTC or Zulu time.  So there you go they get to have Friday the 3rd all over again.

Their report shows they are experiencing little wind, 5kts from the SW with a boat speed of 4kts and a course over the ground of 100°M.  They are slowly trying to make southing though with the present course they are probably making easting and northing.

I've passed on best wishes from those of you that asked to be remembered and I know that they are appreciated.  There's a lot of reading and listening to music going on onboard, though the genre and volume changes with the watch.  

Posted via email from PK's Sailing posts

Drina crosses the 40° line of latitude...

Overnight Drina has crossed the 40° latitude and is presently sailing a course of 073°M in about 4.5Kts of wind.  Her longitude is 179.58°E and so they probably will sail today all over again as soon as they cross the date line in the next few hours.

Latest news is that they continue to try make southing in an attempt to get better (stronger) wind.  As you can see from the latest track here...

http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

they are having a lot of trouble getting south and are having to take whatever they can get at the moment.  In a straight line they have about 4,590 miles to go, however they will actually have to sail about 500miles further due to the curvature of the earth.

Here's a picture just prior to departure taken by Bryan Ridell  

Paul Kerrigan

Strewth: Jan 2010
Bathurst Harbour
Check Drina's latest position, click the link below.
 http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90

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Drina back underway after mainsail repairs in Opua

Drina is back at sea after completing mainsail repairs in Opua in NZ. She cleared out for Porto Montt in Chile on Monday morning last and has been experiencing light winds since then. Her course and position can be viewed here http://shiptrak.org/?callsign=vj5319&filter=90
The link will auto-update for you each day and the zoom and pan controls are located top left of the map. Hope you enjoy following the adventure as Michael and Alex continue their journey.

The plan is to sail a course of about 120 degrees true to reach the windier latitudes, possibly as low as 50 degrees south and then move south or north to avoid the low pressure fronts. They have approximately 5000 NM to go and at about 1000 miles per week the trip will take 5 weeks or so. So it's Christmas at sea for those two.

All the best for now PK

Posted via email from PK's Sailing posts

A copy of OVERIT's Log - Manly to POM

Download now or preview on posterous

Log OVERIT - Runaway Bat - POM Oct 2010.docx (102 KB)

Posted via email from PK's Sailing posts

A fit looking GT sailing...

Log of the Yacht Classic July 2010

Thursday 18 July 2010.

List of items to be checked with Skipper regarding operation of Classic. C-Map cards available for plotter. It seems there is only the installed card available. It’s a Max – NT not the latest version. This means that we will have to setup my laptop and run SoB with the latest maps as a backup. This is a real nuisance as there is not really room on at the Nav station to locate the laptop securely and there is no chart table so we’ll have to work from the saloon table. PK

Query the radio battery switch isolates the battery located near the Nav station and that only the HF set is wired into this circuit. PK

Seems that neither Tim nor the owner know what this switch does or what the battery is for. Will need to check this out before we depart. PK

Locate the remote control for the dinghy winch aft. Located and tested OK. MT.

Bow thrusters. These are operated hydraulically and require that the main engine be run at 700 plus rpm. This will of course require that the main prop is disengaged while the thrusters are operated. MT.

Genset. Controls port side forward of the saloon companionway. Note that this should not be operated while the main engine is running. PK.

See switch control at main switchboard this should be in the vertical position while operating the main engine. To shore power while connected alongside and to Genset if operating this power source.MT.

All bilge pumps and alarms checked and operated manually. All pumps and float switches worked satisfactorily. PK.

Sat phone requires a pin and neither the owner nor the skipper seem to know what it is. Perhaps they are reluctant to allow us to use it while they are the registered owner? MT

Fuelling. We completed fuelling this morning and took on board $2,000 worth of diesel. This was somewhat less than we had been led to expect as Michael was under the impression that we were to be filled. We are now at approx 4,000Ltrs about 1,000 less than capacity. PK.

Filled water tanks, these are substantial and took several hours to fill. There is only one filler point for both tanks as is the case for the fuel tanks so it’s important to make sure the cross link valves between the tanks are open while filling. If these valves are left open while at sea then it’s important to make sure that the sight glass isolation cocks are set to off otherwise the high side tank will siphon through the sight glass. . MT.PK

Check deck rigging, standing rigging, Sail furlers, and leads for sheets and furling lines. These latter need to be stowed carefully as they are long enough to fall overboard and foul the prop. Agree with Mike to terminate them at midship deck cleats. These can be reached from the pilot house without going on deck. Standing rigging looks OK, no visible erosion or stranding. .PK

19.07.2010

Hosed deck and pilot house to check for possible leaks. None found except for the keyholes in pilot house doors. Probably taping these up will suffice.PK .

Removed sail cover from Mizzen and checked the sail ties and halyard are ok. One of the sail slides is broken near the head of the sail. Hoisted sailto check it’s condition, sail OK. Except as noted. I’ve sourced a piece of lashing that will do the job if we need the sail. PK.

Lashing on coat hooks at starboard in pilothouse suitable for sail slide on mizzen.PK .

Located the Mizzen sheet and blocks and mounted this. PK.

Unfurled all sails and sheeted them home. Sails are probably the original suit and are in reasonable working condition. Sheeting positions may give rise to some chaffing and we should keep an eye on this during the trip.PK

Checked fluid levels in engine, gearbox, and hydraulic system. Located header tank for steering hydraulics in the wheel housing. Access by removing Classic Name plate. This showed two thirds full, though how oil is added was immediately clear. The drive chain for the Auto Pilot to the wheel pump has no tension device and is slack. This results in some sloppiness in the wheel. Decided to leave the access panel off for the trip so we can keep an eye on the fluid level. PK .

Checked the quantity of spare lubricants and fluids. Supplies adequate. PK .

Checked all saloon, forward and aft cabins for loose articles and stowed these. Taped all drawers and locker doors to prevent banging during trip. Organised galley and stowed food and other supplies.PK

Downloaded weather and discussed with Michael. Looks like the earliest we can get away with safety will be early Thursday so we have a day or so of waiting ahead of us.PK MT

20.07.2010

Still waiting as weather is still against us and the high has slowed and is now moving more slowly east.

21.07.2010

Finally the weather is looking more promising.

Far North Coastal Waters, Point Danger to Wooli and 60nm seawards: Friday until midnight:Wind: S/SE 15/20 knots. Sea: 1.5 to 2 metres. Swell: E/SE about 2 metres: Wind: S/SW 15/20 knots increasing to 20/25 knots evening/overnight Sea: 1.5 to 2.5 metres Saturday: Wind: S/SW 15/20 knots increasing to 20/25 knots evening/overnight. Sea: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Swell: SE 2 to 2.5 metres. Sunday: Wind: S/SW 15/25 knots, reaching 30 knots at times offshore. Monday: Wind: S/SW 15/25 knotsMid North Coastal Waters, Wooli to Seal Rocks and 60nm seawards: Friday until midnight:Wind: S/SW 15/20 knots reaching 20/25 knots offshore. Sea: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Swell: E/SEabout 2 metres. Saturday . Swell: SE 2 to 2.5 metres. Sunday: Wind: S/SW 15/25 knots, reaching 30 knots at times offshore, easing in the south later. Monday: Wind: S/SW 10/20 knots.

In any case we will be in for a lumpy few days as we move down the coast, hopefully the weather will move SW and ease as we get further down maybe Monday or Tuesday and then hopefully the promised Westerlies for the Strait.

13.30hrs. Let slip the lines at the marina and made revolutions for 6.0kts in the seaway Cleared the Southport seaway at 14.10hrs.




14.10hrs. came to new course 122° M. Speed 7.0kts, Wind 20kts at 175°M. Set engine revelations to 1350. Water temp 140°F, Oil 50 PSI, SOG is 7.0kts. COG 120°M. Set Fore and Main Staysails. 15.30hrs. Course 122 M, Speed 6.2 Kts, Wind 20Kts. At 180°M. Two staysails set and engine revolutions reduced to 1000rpm. Water 140°F Oil at 50 psi.

18.30hrs. Abeam Tweed Heads. 8 miles off, cloudy and sea condition is very choppy and making progress rather uncomfortable. There is no pilot seat in the boat so one has to stand on the windward (high) side to maintain a watch. Wind direction remains 180°M and we still have two staysails set and motoring with engine at 1000 revolutions. Water is 140°F and oil is steady at 50psi.

02.30hrs. Uneventful two watches no changes to course or sails. Our position is now abeam Byron Bay about 15 miles off. Wind is still in the south at 180°M at 25kts. SOG is steady at 6 plus kts. And no evidence of current yet. Engine revolutions are 1000rpm and Water is 140°F while oil pressure is steady at 50psi.

06.00hrs 27 miles north of Yamba, at 17 miles off. Wind south at 25kts. Making 1250 revolutions as have had to furl sails and motor only. Now making only 5.0kts SOG. Water is 140°F and Oil is 50psi. Cloudy day though the seas are more manageable now we are out past the 100 fathom line in deep water.

08.30hrs Pos 29°.46’S 152°.49’E Making 1200 revolutions for 5.5kts SOG Wind is south at 180°M and 18kts. Water is 140°F and Oil is 50psi. All sail furled.

13.00hrs Pos 29° 54’S. 153°44’E This makes 130miles in the last 24 hrs. Engine making revolutions 1300 and SOG is 5.5kts. Wind is still 180°M at 22kts. Engine water temperature is 140°F and oil pressure is 50psi. Sky is clear and the sun is out. Motion is rolling though comfortable. All sails are stowed.

14.00hrs Checked all fluid levels all ok. Engine room is cool and the engine is running very cool. Water temp is a little low at 140°F though well high enough to avoid condensation so I’m persuaded not to make an adjustment to the sea water pump rate. Though if I was to manage this engine in port where all the trips were likely to be short I’d like to see the engine run at closer to 160°F. So closing down the seawater cock would be a real option.

Saturday 06.00 Approaching Port Macquarie at dawn. We passed Smoky Cape during the early hours. The last 18 hrs have been uneventful with nothing to report except that the costal traffic is very heavy. It’s been rare not to have a ship approaching or overtaking at any time overnight. We have picked up some current as our SOG has been 7 to 9kts overnight and we have reduced engine revolutions to 1200rpm. Mike is unbelievable at picking the SOG and adjusting the Engine to match. It takes me an hour or more to notice that the miles are slipping by faster or slower than they were. It seems to take Mike only a few moments to say , “our average has increased” and adjust the revs... I sure wish I could do it . Wind continues south at 180°M at 19 to 22 Kts. All sails are stowed. The swell is now in the south or perhaps a little west of south and as a result we are rolling very little. When the sun gets up a bit I’d like to experiment with setting the Main Staysail amidships to see if it will reduce it even more. According to my favourite book on these coasts Ray Parkin’s “Endeavour, Cook’s log” shows he was in these latitudes on Saturday May the 12th 1770. At latitude 31° 40’S and about a League and a half from shore. (9 miles) Here he saw several smoaks or as we would say smokes and hence he named the headland Smoky Cape.

08.00hrs Abeam Port Macquarie, Wind remains in the south at 180°M at 19kts. The weather is fine and sunny with a slight chop and very little swell. The chop is probably from the wind against current as our boat speed continues to increase and is now about 9.0kts SOG Engine revolutions are now 1050rpm Water temperature is 140°F and oil is steady at 50psi. We continue to see lots of traffic more that 4 or 5 ships visible at any one time. Checked fluid levels all ok at or above full. Hydraulic steering pump seems to be using some fluid. However the header tank is only about 200ml so it must be a very small weep.

09.30hrs Pos. 31°47’S 152°52’E Wind South at 170°M at 15kts. Fine rain showers occasionally, Current has now left us and we have had to increase revolutions to 1350rpm to maintain speed at close to 8.0kts SOG. As well our COG has now changed to 188°M so we are being moved sideways with the current. Strangely all the ship traffic has disappeared and I haven’t seen a ship all watch. Water temperature remains at 140°F and oil is steady at 50psi.

18.00hrs Long day moving past Newcastle, lots of storm cells with rain and we seemed to catch the all. Visibility was not all that good and we are a fair way off so all in all it ‘s been a very uneventful day. We have reduced revolutions to about 1200rpm on average over the last 9 hrs and maintained our SOG at 7 plus knots. Revolutions are 1350 Water is 140°F and oil is steady at 50psi.

09.00hrs Sunday Abeam Stanwell Park North of Wollongong. It’s been a very quiet night though there was lots of traffic, I counted 21 ships underway during one 3 hour watch. And that doesn’t count those at anchor. The weather is now fine though those pesky storm cells are still about. The wind has eased at last and is now down to 10knts from the south at 190°M. Our trip log now shows 441miles and I’ve checked the paper charts and this is very close. So our average is getting better. Checked the fuel consumption and we seem to be well inside our estimate. This engine is very well matched to the prop. Which must help with the efficiency. Really nice when they get these sort of matches right. Classic is really a joy to drive. Response to revolutions is almost linear, really nice. Our course is now 200°M our SOG is 8.4kts, revolutions are 1350 Water temp is 140°F and oil is 50psi. Checked fluid levels and all ok. Steering hydraulic header tank continues to fall though more slowly than at first. That might be that the steering is now working much less than during the first 48hrs.

14.00hrs Pos 35°04’S 150°49’E Abeam Jervis Bay, weather fine and clear, no thunder storms for a few hours now. Wind slight to variable 5 to 10kts from the South to South east. Sea is slight on a 1.5m SE swell. We are making 1350 revolutions and our SOG is a respectable 8.6kts. COG is 170°M very close to rhumb line. Water temperature is 140°F and oil pressure is 50psi. Trip log now shows 483 miles to 14.00hrs this afternoon which gives us a daily average of 155 miles. Not bad at all and right on Michael’s prediction. I have the main staysail set amidships at the moment and it is helping to stabilise the tendency she has to roll in a cross swell however slight. With just this small staysail set she heels about 5° to leeward and settles down nicely. Very comfortable now, though do miss a pilot or navigator’s seat from which to stand watches.

14.30hrs Change of watch, I’ve come on early so Michael can do some running maintenance. This is our first proper lunch on board, up to now we’ve avoided cooking big meals as the LPG tanks appear to be either empty or leaking. The stern compartment where these are located is below the waterline when underway, though above the waterline when alongside or at anchor. So it can’t drain. Michael opened the hatchway early this morning to clear the gas that had leaked from the bottles and just before lunch he spent half an hour reseating all the LPG connections. So magic, we now have a stove that works and the leaks are all fixed. To celebrate we had rib eye steaks and a couple of beers for lunch. Lots of fishing boats out fishing off the shoals. We are making good progress with a fair current setting south at about 1.5kts. Reduced revolutions to make 8.5kts SOG. The 240v earth leakage breaker has been tripping more and more frequently. This indicates that we have water or condensation in a connection block or GPO. Michael thinks the most likely place is aft in the masters cabin under the bunk. Checked this out and sure enough there is a hole in the bulkhead that lets water in from the after gas storage locker. Disconnected the connection block and taped up the terminals. This fixed the problem.

23.30hrs Change of watch, been a very pleasant evening and I slept for a full two and a half hours. Now making a sandwich for us both and a coffee for Michael . We continue to make good progress. The weather is fine and the moon is almost full. Sea is slight on a 1.0m South Easterly swell. Staysail still set amidships. SOG is 8.3kts we are making 1275 revolutions water temp is steady at 140°F and oil remains steady at 50psi. COG is better now at 180°M

06.00hrs Back on watch after an uneventful night with only slight traffic. As we get further South the sunrise gets noticeably later and set is much earlier. In Southport it was light by 0630, here at 0600 the sky has hardly lightened despite there being no cloud. Looks like we made good progress overnight as we continue making 1275 revolutions for a SOG of 8.2kts. and our COG is still 180°M right on target. Our position is 37°21’S 150°03’E. Michael has been putting us on the chart at the watch changes and I had a look at the track we’ve been making just now and it’s as close to a straight line as makes no difference. During the last watch we’ve been closing the coast as we will be abeam Eden in a little while and must have a weather conference and decide whether to make a run for the strait. Hoping to download some weather maps so we can make sense of the radio forecasts.

South Coastal Waters, Ulladulla to Gabo Island and 60nm seawards: Sunday until midnight: Wind: South to south westerly 10 to 20 knots. Sea: Up to 2 metres. Swell: South easterly about 1.5 metres. Isolated thunderstorms. Monday: Wind: Northwest to south westerly 5 to 15 knots tending west to north westerly up to 20 knots by early evening. Sea: Up to 1.5 metres. Swell: South easterly about 1.5 metres. Tuesday: Wind: West to south westerly 5 to 15 knots tending south to south westerly up to 10 knots around midday then tending south easterly during the afternoon. Winds light later in the evening. Wednesday: Wind: Northwest to south westerly 5 to 10 knots tending north to north westerly during the morning then tending northerly up to 15 knots during the afternoon. Winds 15 to 20 knots during the evening. The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:45 am EST Monday.

08.30hrs Listened out on 4483 for Tas-Coast Radio, nothing heard. I’m sure we have an aerial problem with the HF set as the insulation is in bad repair below the backstay insulator and may be shorting out below deck. The set is identical to my iCom and is tuned correctly yet it’s got hardly any range. Weather fine on slight swell, sunny and cloudless. Making 1275 revolutions for 8.1kts SOG and COG is 180°M Breakfast by Michael, bacon and eggs on toast with strong tea. What a wonderful way to finish a watch. We now have the fore staysail set and drawing as well as our old faithful Main staysail. Reduced revolutions to 1200rpm and maintained speed. Checked all fluid levels and engine room temp. Checked all engine belts and pulley bearings, all ok. Fuel economy is right on Michael’s target as far as we can tell, given we have a slight heel to port now with the sails set. Sighted our first Albatross, very young and very curious. The best we can make of the weather is that it is due to go West and strengthen to 10 to 20kts then ease to 5 to 15kts from the same direction tomorrow.

Our position is 37°37’S 150°03’E. 12.00hrs We have cleared Green Point and made the decision to cross the Strait. The wind has built to 25kts from the South West while I was off watch and is lumpy and uncomfortable. We are making 1300 revolutions for 8.2kts SOG with the same rig as before. Sky is clear but the wind promises to increase as it’s gusting above 30kts now. Pos 38°01’S 149°54’E. Seas building. Hoping that the seas will abate as we get to deeper water.

18.00hrs Watch change. Michael managed to cook some soup and toast. Very difficult motion now as it’s dark and hard to predict the wave motion. Didn’t get much sleep during my last rest period. Michael is tired I can see and will sleep all his off watch. Pos 38°39’S 149°30’E Making 1350 revolutions to maintain boat speed, discussed making less revolutions with Mike to see if it will ease the motion. After a few tests we established that we would have to really slow down to say 2.5 to 3 knots to make any difference. At this slower speed the auto pilot had a lot of trouble holding her on course and the big waves just stopped her dead. Made revolutions for 6.5kts at 1350rpm.

24.00hrs Pos 39°17’S 149°15’E Wind still gusting to 30 plus kts. The wind indicator now seems to have gone haywire and is reading wind speed in M/S. Boat speed is good at 6 + knots and our COG is still good at 180°M. The wind has gone a little further to the West of South which is helping. Dark night with only glimpses of the Moon.

Tuesday 0600hrs Watch change. Our progress has been good for the last 18 hrs and we are now off the top of Flinders Island. Jimmy D always said when we were doing Hobart races that once in the lee of Flinders the worst of the crossing was over. And indeed so it seems for the wind has eased with dawn to 10 to 15kts from the South West and the sea state has moderated considerably since I was last on watch at 0300. Michael is in the galley cooking up one of his specials, serials, fruit juice, bacon and eggs followed by strong tea and toast. Really great as we have had to make do with soup and the occasional sandwich for the last 20hrs or so. Mike has had a shower and I can’t wait to follow suit and really get clean. Checked engine fluid levels and belt tensions. All OK. We are now making 7kts plus and have reduced revolutions to 1275rpm. Water is 140°F and Oil is 50psi. COG is 180°M Trip log turned 800 miles a little while ago. Position 40°17’S 149°00’E

0800hrs Wind has further abated and with it the sea condition and the wind has gone further to the West. It’s a bright sunny day with clear skies and the Furneaux Group can be clearly seen off on our starboard beam. We are making 1275 revolutions for a SOG of 7.6kts and will probably set more sail in a little while and reduce revs. Water temp is 140°F and oil pressure is 50psi. Michael checked the fluid levels a little while ago and reported all OK. The chain jumped off the auto pilot drive as the pulley has become loose on the shaft. Removed and replaced the pulley and tightened the grub screw. This worked for a little while but has now become loose again. Michael suggested using super glue in the keyway and hand steering for a while until it sets. Might be a chance of working so Michael has been hand steering for the last half hour while we wait for the glue to dry... Surprise it seems to have worked, the pulley is now firmly located.

0830hrs Tried to contact Tas-Coast Radio without success. 1200hrs No change to weather and sea has continued to abate. Pos 41°03’S 149°00’E. We continue to make good progress averaging better than 7kts. Revolutions are 1200.

1800hrs Beautiful weather great sunset after a super day cruising down the East coast. Pos 41°49’S 148°48’E Just North of Bischeno.

2400hrs Pos 42°25’S 148°40’ Just North of Triabunna. Sea has chopped up and there is a SE swell running. The wind speed is only about 10kts from the SW. Water temp is 140°F and the oil pressure is 50psi. Engine revolutions are 1200rpm. SOG is 7 plus knots.

Wednesday 0300hrs Watch change. Sea state has abated and is now flat wind is still in the SW at about 10kts. Pos. 42°.40’S 148°30’E Engine making 1100 revolutions. Water 140°F Oil 50psi. Making 6 plus knots.

0600hrs Abeam Wine Glass Bay. Flat calm and less than 5kts of wind. Sun up in a hour. Making 1000 revolutions. For 6 plus knots. Mike on breakfast again, bacon and eggs with the trimmings

1200hrs Passed inside Tasman Island, the sea state in Storm Bay is quite lumpy after enjoying a very flat run down the coast past the Hippolites . Now we are out of the lee of the mainland and the fetch is much longer despite there only being about 10kts of breeze. Making for Parsons Bay to overnight and give us a chance to put the boat back in port condition. Untape the drawers and lockers, unpack all the breakables and replace all the cushions and bed linen etc.

1650hrs Tested anchor before entering the bay, chain had locked up under a pile of chain that had shifted while we were underway. This took almost 45 minutes. Finally got the chain straightened out and made way up the bay to our overnight anchorage. Water header tank alarm sounded and on checking we discovered a low water level in header tank. Topped up tank with about 6 ltrs. This fixed the alarm however doesn’t explain where all the water has gone. Mike checked all the flexes for leaks and found a slight weep at one of the pressure gauge cocks. 1700hrs Made the boat ready for delivery. Tidied up generally and then relaxed with a beer before dinner. This is really a delightful bay with deep water and is protected on all sides. Looking forward to dinner, I get to dish up my rissole menu.

2030hrs Checked anchor and turned in for the night.

Thursday 0600hrs Breakfast and cleanup, pack sea bags and topped all fluid levels. About 1ltr of hydraulic fluid, and 10ltrs of SAE30 for the engine to reset levels to normal. make ready to weigh anchor and set course for Hobart town. The low water alarm sounded while we were weighing anchor. Topped up header tank with a further 4 ltrs of water and added antifreeze. This fixed the alarm. Still no explanation of where the water might be going.

0830hrs Secured anchor and made revolutions for Hobart. RYCT Marina. Very misty and raining in the river. Visibility very low. Laid in several waypoints and used autopilot to steer course. Radar very good at picking up river features. Plotter radar overlay less useful as the chart offsets for the detail chart have not been entered.

1200hrs Tied up to Fuel wharf at RYCT and met new owner. After a brief run through of the systems we moved the boat to its pen and made it secure. Passed key to Cam at about 1400hrs.