The last 3 days were not very easy for us here deep in the Southern Ocean. With the wind was averaging below 10 knots for prolonged period and we were fighting big swell still trying to keep going. With not enough wind and big swell sails get a lot of stress and as the result I damaged main sail – 2 vertical cracks in the middle of the sail, just below second reef. Weather permitting will try to repair it with spectra patch and sicaflex. For this I need a dry day which is a rare moment here.
Here on 55 South we get only 5 hours of darkness, as we are close the Polar Circle, although the rest of the time mostly dark and grey here. I got feeling that we stuck in time – the sun suppose to come, but it is not coming. In addition with heavy fog we had yesterday I got feeling of being placed into wet and cold cellar – that is the environment we have in the nav station. In the cock-pit typical scenario: chilling wind and rain.
It is unbelievable, so much rain is pouring into Southern Ocean – so much of fresh water being wasted. If we can transfer these clouds towards Central Australia – this area will be a Tropical forest region.
Today I switched from Pacific to W. Atlantic satellite for Sat-C terminal. Although we are still in Pacific but it seemed were out of the coverage. We have 1.100 miles to Cape Horn. The wind is picking up now.
Forecast from Lee Bruce – Tactical Weather
“The low for the 7th-9th March does not look to be quite as strong as suggested in yesterdays forecast, but 35-40kt sustained wind near Fedor still is possible on the 8th.
The forecast assumes sailing in a corridor between 55 30S and 56 30S:
05/00: WNW 20-25kt gust 30kt
05/12: NW 30 gust 40
06/00: NW/NNW 30 gust 40
06/06: WNW 35 gust 45
06/12: WNW 30 gust 40