13-04-13 – Saturday
1530 Sadiqi departed
leisurely from James Bay.
Engine: 1226.1 Hrs. Log 9530.8
NM.
The wind was 10 to 12 knots
from the South East.
Sadiqi motored to get out of
the wind shadow of the island. It did not make much difference as there was
very little wind toward the north.
14-04-13 – Sunday
Over night the wind varied
between less than 10 knots and less than 5 knots toward morning from the South
East or North East.
0600 St Helena was still
visible on the horizon 50 miles to the south. The South Atlantic Gyre seemed to
be pushing Sadiqi northward at half a knot.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 15 14.26 S, Lon: 006
35.93 W
COG: 320 Deg M, SOG 2 knots
(sometimes)
Winds: < 5 Kts NE. Swell
2 meters flat seas.
Engine: 1230.4 Hrs
Distance covered since
leaving St Helena 65 miles.
It was a sunny day and I was
wondering what happened to the trade wind.
Andrew from Peri Peri Radio
net gave me an uninspiring forecast for light, less than 10 knot, winds for the
next two to three days - more of the same. The weather GRIB files didn't give
any better picture.
In the afternoon I was
roused from my book hearing a knocking sound above the occasional banging of
the mainsail. I looked over the stern to see several largish fish bumping
against the Windpilots pendulum rudder - Strange.
The wind was less than 5
knots from the east for most of the day - too light to use the asymmetrical
spinnaker.
The cook produced a large
Indian beef curry and rice - starting to run short of fresh vegetables.
15-04-13 – Monday
It was a slow quiet night.
Sails were reefed/furled to reduce the infernal banging and slatting from the
rolling in the light winds.
0900 Wind 2 - 5 knots ESE.
Raised Big Bertha, spent
some time finding the sweet spot, where Sadiqi was heading in the right
direction, the sails filled and Smithy the windpilot was happy at the helm.
This meant trying to bring the apparent wind onto the beam.
COG 320 Deg M, SOG 2 - 4
Knots.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 14 39.94 S, Lon: 007
16.73 W
COG: 340 Deg M, SOG 3 knots
Winds: 5 to 10 Kts ESE. Swell 2 to 3 meters.
Engine: 1230.4 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 52 miles.
Going nowhere slowly.
 |
| Sunset |
1820 Winds 5 to 8 Kts ESE.
Dropped and bagged Big
Bertha, gybed the main and poled out the jib.
16-04-13 – Tuesday
Morning was overcast
Winds 5 to 10 Kts SE.
Sailing downwind in light
airs sucks.
Changed Time Zone to UTC
-1.0
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 15 57.61 S, Lon: 008
29.20 W
COG: 300 Deg M, SOG 3 knots
Winds: 5 to 10 Kts SE. Swell 2 meters.
Engine: 1230.9 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 82 miles.
I had to wait an extra hour
in the day for beer o clock, due to changing the time zone, I polished
stainless steel - sanity is optional.
2030 Winds 10 - 15 Kts SE
COG 300 Deg M, SOG 4.5 Kts
17-04-13 – Wednesday
Morning was overcast
Winds 10 to 15 Kts ESE.
Rocking and rolling again.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 13 30.50 S, Lon: 010
02.99 W
COG: 305 Deg M, SOG 4.0
knots
Winds: 8 to 12 Kts SE. Swell 2 meters.
Engine: 1232.0 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 95.5 miles.
The engine is run most days
to charge the batteries. The mornings tend to be overcast and the sails shade
the solar panels in the afternoon.
Winds increased overnight 10
to 15 knots ESE.
18-04-13 – Thursday
After sunrise the winds
dropped - 10 to 12 knots ESE leaving nasty, sloppy, sail banging seas.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 12 34.84 S, Lon: 011
43.89 W
COG: 330 Deg M, SOG 4.5
knots
Winds: 10 to 15 Kts ESE. Swell 2 - 3 meters.
Engine: 1232.0 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 113 miles.
Wind swung to the SE late
afternoon.
10 to 12 knots - Gybed to
port.
19-04-13 – Friday
Sunny morning for change.
Wind 12 to 18 knots ESE.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 12 20.04 S, Lon: 013
46.13 W
COG: 290 Deg M, SOG 6.0
knots
Winds: 14 to 18 Kts ESE. Swell 2 to 4 meters.
Engine: 1232.0 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 120 miles.
Rock and rolling along with
partially furled main and jib.
20-04-13 – Saturday
Another sunny morning.
Wind 12 to 16 knots ESE.
Swell 4 - 5 metres.
1015 Wind 10 to 15 knots E.
Gybed to starboard - sailing
with mainsail and poled out jib.
COG 300 deg M, SOG 5 Knots.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 12 19.41 S, Lon: 015
58.58 W
COG: 310 Deg M, SOG 5.0
knots
Winds: 10 to 15 Kts ENE. Swell 3 - 4 meters.
Engine: 1232.0 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 129 miles.
For the past 8 days only 2
ships have been spotted with the use of the AIS. One of the ships crossed 3
miles ahead of Sadiqi's bow.
21-04-13 – Sunday
0415 Wind less than 10 knots
ESE
Sails banging and slatting!
Reefed and tightened sails.
0700 Light winds and lumpy
seas.
Sailing downwind in light
airs still sucks!
Laundry day.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 11 35.71 S, Lon: 017
32.79 W
COG: 325 Deg M, SOG 4.5
knots
Winds: 10 to 12 Kts E. Swell 2 meters.
Engine: 1232.7 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 102 miles.
1415 Wind 10 - 12 knots SE
Gybed the main - hauled up
Big Bertha
COG 280 Deg M, SOG 5 knots.
For a good number of days Sadiqi
has been dragging a lure behind. The fish have shown not the slightest interest
in the bright squid looking lures.
1820 Winds too fickle - put
Big Bertha to bed, poled out jib.
COG 290 Deg M, SOG 4 Knots.
22-04-13 – Monday
Winds increased through the
night - 15 to 18 knots (True) SE.
COG 300 Deg M, SOG 5.5
knots.
Getting warmer - water temp
27 degrees Celsius.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 11 11.92 S, Lon: 019
27.96 W
COG: 300 Deg M, SOG 5.5
knots
Winds: 14 to 126 Kts SE. Swell 2 - 3 meters.
Engine: 1232.7 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 115 miles.
The cook produced Bangers
and mash potato/pumpkin for dinner. Not without some colourful language after
having gybed onto Starboard then gybed back as the angle was poor and rough.
The wind shift was due to a large black cloud passing with some precipitation. The
cook, by the by, along with the crew and skipper are one and the same. In the
rolling seas the potatoes, and onions escaped the preparations for the pot
several times hence the cooks grumpiness and language.
23-04-13 – Tuesday
0615 Wind 12 to 15 knots (T)
ESE
Gybed to starboard.
While ruminating over my
weetbix and coffee I heard the fishing reel ratchet give a creak. This was
followed by the reel screaming as metres of line disappeared aft. The skipper
tentatively tightened the drag to slow the running line, then started to reel
in the beast that was on the end - several hundred metres of line had been
pulled from the reel. It did not take to long to realise that what ever had
taken the lure was no longer there. Alas, no fish for dinner.
1110 Wind 12 to 20 knots SSE
Gybed back to port.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -1.0
Lat: 10 29.51 S, Lon: 021
16.73 W
COG: 315 Deg M, SOG 5.5
knots
Winds: 15 to 20 Kts SSE. Swell 2 - 3 meters.
Engine: 1232.7 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 114 miles.
More broader, taller darker
Cumulus clouds about and rain toward the south.
1730 reduced sail - stormy
weather.
Wind 18 to 22 knots SE,
swell to 5 metres.
Rough, sloppy seas from the
storm cell that passed to the south of Sadiqi.
24-04-13 – Wednesday
0600 Woke to the sound of
rain on the cabin top.
Wind 12 to 15 knots ESE,
swell 3 to 4 metres.
Gybed onto Starboard for a
better angle with the waves.
Changed the time zone to UTC
-2.
When crossing time zones
most people may suffer jetlag. However, when one is travelling at little more
than a brisk walking pace jetlag is not a real issue. An airplane will cross
time zone meridians with hours where Sadiqi it takes days. Beer in mind that a
time zone changes approximately every 15 degrees depending on national
boundaries. The skipper, however, does seem to suffer "Beer lag" due
to having to wait an extra hour for beer o clock, which is usually observed at
1700 hours. While the rules are self imposed there does have to be some sort of
discipline onboard or anarchy may prevail, or the skipper is likely to end up
polishing things again.
The skipper's morning coffee
was again interrupted, this time by a nasty wave that tipped Sadiqi and its
contents violently to one side. The coffee spilled over the Volvo, which was
running to recharge batteries. The engine appeared indifferent and fortunately unaffected
by the sticky brown mess with which it was liberally coated. The only minor
reprisal was the fan belt flicking sticky brown mess around the galley and nav
station.
1130 Winds 12 to 15 SE .
Gybed to port.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -2.0
Lat: 09 46.60 S, Lon: 023
23.21 W
COG: 310 Deg M, SOG 4.5
knots
Winds: 12 to 15 Kts E. Swell 3 to 5 meters.
Engine: 1233.7 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 131.5 miles (25 Hrs).
The fresh food, meat and veg
was to getting decidedly suspect. The skipper had not managed to get much fresh
food at St Helena other than eggs and bananas. The cook produced a large pot of
mince and vegetables to be used for pasta and lasagne. The bread had finally
succumbed to some undesirable culture - there was not much bread left after cutting
off the mould. The lasagne cooked while the bread was baked - skipper and crew were
happy.
25-04-13 – Thursday
It was a very pleasant night
sail with a near full moon and good winds. Ah, the serenity.
It was a sunny bright
morning with some large cumulus about.
Water Temperature 28.5
degrees Celsius.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -2.0
Lat: 09 16.86 S, Lon: 025
20.62 W
COG: 290 Deg M, SOG 5 knots
Winds: 10 to 12 Kts SE. Swell 3 to 4 meters.
Engine: 1233.7 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 119 miles.
Pleasant sailing downwind -
warm and sunny, no ominous clouds about.
Alas, no fish.
1700 Wind 10 to 12 knots E,
swell 2 to 3 metres.
- Beer o clock - dropped all
the sails and went for a swim/wash, after doing a cursory look for big bighty
things about. There is only so much grunge that can be washed off with a bucket
in the cockpit. I trailed one of the spinnaker sheets in the water just in case
I lost my grasp of the stern ladder. Sadiqi was drifting in the current at 1 to
2 knots.
2000 Wind < 10 knots ESE,
swell 3 to 4 metres - choppy seas.
COG 315 Deg M, SOG 3 knots.
Sailing with reefed mainsail only -banging and
slatting.
2215 Wind less than 10 knots
ESE. Full moon - large storm clouds about but no wind.
The seas were unpleasant.
Sadiqi was being tipped about every which way. Anything that could make a noise
did - there was a hell of a racket,
26-04-13 – Friday
0200 it poured with rain -
not much wind. Nasty short interval, sloppy seas. Sailing, well attempting to,
with partially furled mainsail only. And the mainsail banged from side to side.
0515 Wind 15 to 20 knots E.
Many large clouds about with
some rain. The skipper managed to capture some rain water for the tanks.
1000 Winds still less than
10 knots NE.
COG 310 Deg M, SOG maybe 2
knots.
I'm guessing that we are out
of the influence of the benign, stable South Atlantic high and near the
equatorial unstable low pressure systems. It was a long slow day. And the
mainsail banged from side to side.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -2.0
Lat: 08 41.39 S, Lon: 026
42.89 W
COG: 000 Deg M, SOG 2.5
knots
Winds: 5 to 10 Kts SE. Swell 2 to 3 meters.
Engine: 1235.1 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 88 miles.
Gybed to port for want of a
better coarse direction. And the mainsail banged from side to side.
2030 Wind increased 10 to 12
knots ESE.
COG 290 Deg M, SOG 4.5 Kts.
27-04-13 – Saturday
The wind blew a pretty
steady 10 to 12 knots ESE through the night.
0520 Wind less than 10 knots
ESE.
Many large grey clouds with
grey curtains of precipitation. The skipper managed to get a good fresh water
wash in one of the downpours. Fortunately the shower lasted until the soap was
rinsed off. 30 litres of water was collected to fill the tanks.
And the mainsail banged from
side to side.
0900 Wind 12 to 18 knots E
COG 300 Deg M SOG 5.5 knots.
This was a brief blast of
wind before abating again.
More large grey rain squalls
around - not much wind.
And the mainsail banged from
side to side.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -2.0
Lat: 08 28.05 S, Lon: 028
20.02 W
COG: 280 Deg M, SOG 2.5
knots
Winds: 8 to 10 Kts SE, Swell 3 to 4 meters.
Engine: 1236.0 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 97 miles.
The wind was frustratingly
inconsistent in force and direction. The mainsail was gybed several times
during the morning in an attempt to head in the right direction. And the
mainsail banged from side to side.
1245 The greyness overtook
Sadiqi, the sun shone and the wind blew with some enthusiasm for a change.
Wind 12 to 15 knots (T) ESE
.
COG 310 Deg M, SOG 5 knots.
The mainsail did not bang
from side to side - the peace.
1800 Wind 12 to 15 knots (T)
ESE
COG 310 Deg M, SOG 6 knots
Boisterous seas - mainsail
and poled out jib.
28-04-13 – Sunday
A good nights sail - few
clouds under a waning moon.
0600 Wind 20 to 25 knots (T)
Rain squall - lots of dark
soggy clouds.
0700 The greyness and
wetness overtook Sadiqi - clear skies astern.
0730 Wind 14 to 18 knots (T)
ESE
COG 325 Deg M, SOG 6 knots.
Good sailing and surfing
down the waves.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -2.0
Lat: 07 26.42 S, Lon: 030 09.91
W
COG: 330 Deg M, SOG 6 knots
Winds:14 to 18 Kts ESE, Swell 3 to 4 meters.
Engine: 1236.0 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 125 miles.
More greyness and wetness
developing astern.
1510 Wind 12 to 15 knots (T)
ESE
Gybed to port.
COG 300 Deg M, SOG 5 Kts.
1700 Beer o clock. Noticed a
large ship 1 mile off to port and large, dark, grey wetness aft. Furled the equivalent of 1 reef in the mainsail.
1900 Wind 20 to 25 knots (T)
SE. Rolling along fast down the waves.
2300 Wind 25 to 30 knots (T)
ESE.
Gybed onto starboard. A
pretty wild and rough night.
29-04-13 – Monday
Not the best nights sleep
the skipper had had. More ships about.
Roxy the new anchor worked
loose on the bow roller and banged from side to side. This was more annoying
than dangerous. The skipper managed to devise a method of securing the anchor
better with some old rubber hose to stop the movement.
Not much sunshine or blue
sky in the morning.
0600 Wind 10 to 15 knots
ESE, Swell 3 to 5 metres.
COG: 310 Deg M, SOG 5.5
knots
The fridge seems to be
consuming more power than normal - pulling down the batteries when nav lights,
VHF and GPS are all on. Wondering if the bloody beer beers have been sneaking
into the fridge to keep cool. It has been getting decidedly warmer. Water
temperature 29 degrees Celsius.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -2.0
Lat: 06 57.95 S, Lon: 033
15.88 W
COG: 300 Deg M, SOG 5 knots
Winds:12 to 15 Kts ESE, Swell 3 to 4 meters.
Engine: 1237.3 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 128 miles.
150 miles to fairway buoy landfall.
Compass variation 20 degrees
west.
1700 Beer o clock. Wind 10
to 12 knots ESE
Gybed to Starboard.
COG 280 Deg M, SOG 4.5 Kts.
30-04-13 – Tuesday
0200 Wind increased 15 to 20
knots SE (T)
COG 290 Deg M, SOG 6 knots.
May just be able to make
landfall before dark if the wind holds.
0530 Woke to windy conditions.
Wind 20 to 25 knots SE
COG 290 Deg M, SOG 6 knots.
Landfall 50 miles to fairway
buoy - Cabedelo, Brazil
1000 Wind 15 to 20 knots SSE
COG 280 Deg M, SOG 6.5
knots.
Brisk sailing in boisterous
seas - sell around 4 metres.
Great sailing with the wind
on the beam.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC -2.0
Lat: 06 52.36 S, Lon: 034
28.89 W
COG: 280 Deg M, SOG 6 knots
Winds:14 to 16 Kts SSE, Swell 3 to 4 meters.
Engine: 1237.3 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 132 miles.
 |
| Cabadelo, Brazil |
1305 Wind 12 to 15 knots SE.
COG 280 Deg M, SOG 5 knots.
Crossed the continental
shelf of South America.
Big Bertha was hauled up to
hasten our arrival to avoid anchoring at night.
Skipper had to get the books
out to check on the buoyage system for Brazil. Brazil uses IALA Region B
(American) - Lateral channel marks are opposite, red on the right (red right
return), to IALA Region A (No red port left), that I was familiar with.. A very
important distinction that would save some very serious embarrassment.
1530 Entered the channel of
Rio Paraiba, Cabedelo, Brazil.
Changed the time zone to
UTC-3 hours (Brazilian time).
Motor sailed up river on a
rising tide.
 |
| Cabadelo, Brazil |
1700 Arrived Jacare Yacht Village.
Engine 1239.5 Hours.
Log 10002 Nm
Diesel used 13.5 Litres.
Distance approximately 1,700
miles in 17 days.
http://www.marina-jacare-village.com
I dropped the anchor, the
first time, fairly near the shore behind "Emily Grace". I was aware
of the strong tidal currents it being a river anchorage. I saw
"Mojombo" and some other yachts that I had seen along the way in
South Africa. Tom and Kim from "Emily Grace" came over the say hello
and warned me about the currents. I hauled up the anchor and moved a little
further away from "Emily Grace" and dropped anchor again. It did not
take long to notice that "Sadiqi" and "Emily Grace" were
again destined to bump into each other. I hauled anchor again and moved further
into the centre of the river and hopefully away from the mosquitoes and bugs.
Noonsite warned that the anchorage was noisy with loud music from the clubs and
restaurants along the river and there were not wrong. Oh well, there goes the
serenity.
Back in the tropics where it
does not take much to raise a sweat. Raising a beer to ones mouth will just
about do it.
