Fired up the main engine at midday after winds pooped out all together. Looks like a couple days more at 7+ knots to steam out of these doldrums. Lots of rain last night and today. If we had an extra week or two we could sail out of these doldrums. Glad we have a good …
Shut down the main engine at midday with a decent sailing breeze. Hope it lasts, doubt it will. We sailed within sight of Fernando de Noronha Island at dawn. It was 26 nautical miles to the north. Picking up some current now. But not out of the doldrums yet. Sunday at sea. Dogging the watches …
Motoring still. Looks like a couple more days of this too in these equatorial calms. Could be a lot worse and looks like fresh trade winds on the other side of the equator. Got an email from King Neptune’s Scribe today. They are not amused that we have a bunch of Pollywogs aboard. Shudder…. Date: …
Motoring now. Pretty calm. Big squalls last night. Head winds coming out of the west so we hove to. Saw no reason to sail back to Africa, as charming a land as it is. Torrential downpours. Sunny now. In the calms while steaming we loosed all sail to dry and just furled it. Drying out …
Squally day today. But fair winds and a good drill for the gang to take in sail and set sails again after the squalls. We are well into the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the fancy modern name for the equatorial doldrums. So far, pretty good fair winds through this area. I still expect calms and …
At noon we are sailing along in nice winds, but surrounded by squalls. Took in royal in advance of a dark squall approaching from the starboard quarter. Yesterday afternoon winds laid down to nothing so we fired up the main engine and steamed through the night with a usable wind making up after dawn. Set …
At midday we find ourselves in light easterly winds. This morning around dawn we were overtaken by a large wet squall. Not overly powerful but it covered a large patch of ocean. Lots of rain and a 90 degree wind shift for a couple hours. Chief Mate Erin and her 4 to 8 watch did …
A fresh trade wind sailing day. Studding sails set again. On this blue water breezy day, we are making good westing towards the hump of Brazil, and we find ourselves surrounded by spinner dolphin. Work stops (don’t see much of this back on the farm), and the gang lines the rails to watch the antics …
A fresh trade wind sailing day. Winds picked up overnight. Studding sails taken in. Light rain squalls, not much. Steering for what I think is the narrowest part of the equatorial doldrums near the eastern bump of Brazil for a quick transit to the region of the equator. Make and mend Sunday. New gang working …
Day came in with low broken clouds and a beautiful sunrise. Winds had laid down overnight and a new swell had come from somewhere to the south to give us a roll. But deck wash down gets going anyway. Halyards and braces get a pull in the early morning light to renew the nip and …
