Day 47 Making connections 18/10/13

Position: 27.00 S, 169.50 W @ 16:30 UTC

It’s Friday afternoon still sunny and the wind is holding very well from the east. We’re on port tack with a single reef in the main and full staysail pulling us along at a steady 5+ kts and closing the gap on NZ. The wind has been a little variable at times but still there and apparently will be for the next three days. The waves are quite large, some of them over three meters. It makes a very bold seascape especially with the sun-enhanced indigo colour contrasting with the white caps which lay out as far as the eye can see. The clouds float along at the same level across the sea, some so small if you look at them for long enough they evaporate before your eyes. I’ve only seen one bird in the last few days and that was off in the distance. The waves are still breaking on the deck and making their way below. I think some of the water is coming from the stay sail tack on deck so as soon as it’s dry for a while I will have a go at it with the caulking. Till then it’s mopped up with rags and sponges.

These afternoons are spent reading and writing. At the moment with the wind steady and the sail plan working, I have some time on my hands. I am surrounded by motion. All the little things that hang from the head liner move at a funny herky jerky motion, gradually wearing out their hold on whatever it is they are tied to.

The wind has just picked up a little and we are doing 6.2 kts and with it an added amount of water on the deck proportional to the speed. I had a small pub style lunch, a snack really,  of cheese  and crackers with a beer earlier and I will make something with eggs in awhile, probably scrambled with shallots and onions and a few slices of sausage. 

MaryLou and I want to send our thanks and appreciation to a couple of ham radio operators in New Zealand – Cliff in Balclutha on the south island and John Stephens in Tauranga on the north island. Between the two of them, they coordinated a conversation between our daughter Claire (who is currently a student  in Dunedin, NZ) and Glenn via ham radio at John’s home.  John also linked me in from Victoria, BC on Skype so I could listen in and “watch” the conversation. Gotta love technology. As John said, “This is what being a ham radio operator is all about – connecting people.”  Thank you Cliff and John for connecting all of us.

Claire in Tauranga talking on the ham radio to her Dad on West Wind II. Photo credit: Morag Stephens

This is a photo of my computer screen. I’m connected via Skype to John in Tauranga with Claire.

Here’s John Stephens in Tauranga, NZ

Course 215 T Speed 5 kts Wind E 15 Waves E 2 m Temp 21 C Cloud 50% Baro 1023 steady Miles in the last 24 hr. 130 nm