DATE: Dec 22nd, 2014
BOUND FROM: Reunion Island, France, Indian Ocean
TOWARDS: Cape Town, South Africa, Atlantic Ocean
TIME ZONE: GMT +4
NOON POSITION: 28°23.6S /041°05.9E
DAYS RUN: 60nm
PASSAGE DISTANCE RUN: 931nm
DISTANCE REMAINING: 1,272nm WIND: Wind Force 4, W
WEATHER: fair, 1/8 cloud, visibility very good, barometer 1015 millibars and rising
SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: WSW 2-3m
SAILS SET: All sails stowed at the moment – we’re motoring for a spell to make up some time that we lost in a calm as we wait for the winds to come fair – forecast for later this afternoon.
SHIPS WORK: Sent down a foot rope on the main for overhauling. Various painting projects around the ship making the most of the fair weather while it continues. Sail making work continues on three different sails and the bridge awning. Chief Mate Sam Sikkema showed the sail makers how to eye splice ‘typhoon’ wire rope for the new lower topsail – for our strongest heavy-weather sails, we use wire rope instead of manila for the boltrope that stabilises and reinforces the edges of the sail. Best stuff this.
REMARKS: Dolphins! A pod of 8 or 10 came playing all around the ship for a short while this afternoon before heading off to the east.
