Please note: there are
various reasons for not posting to the blog via sailmail.
This can be due; to poor atmospheric
propagation, too rough to use or work on the laptop, limited battery and even
deliberate. The blog updates, while at sea, are not to be used as an indication
of Sadiqi's safety. Please to not annoy any rescue services by contacting them
if no blog posts have been made.
28-03-13 – Thursday
1400 Sadiqi departed
leisurely from Walvis Bay Harbour after requesting permission to leave from
Port Control on Ch14.
Engine: 1214.8 Hrs. Log
9184.9 NM.
The wind was 12 to 18 knots
from the South West.
1530 Winds 18 - 25 Kts SSW.
Good sailing.
Changed time zone to UTC +1.
Namibia is on perpetual daylight saving.
Water temperature 17 degrees
C.
Skipper not feeling the best
having lost his lunch over the side.
2300 Cold! Confused cross seas. Winds were up and down
during the night. Furling, unfurling the sails and watching for fishing boats.
29-03-13 – Good Friday
0600 spoke with Peri Peri
Radio Net.
Andrew on Easyrider in Cape
Town,
Roy on Good News II near
Durban,
Paul on Northern Star near Johannesburg.
Rolling along North
westwards in a cross sea - swell from the SW.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC+1.0
Lat: 21 58.86 S, Lon: 012
29.37 E
COG: 305 Deg M, SOG 5.5
knots
Winds: 15 to 20 Kts SE. Swell to 2 to 3 meters.
Engine: 1215.3 Hrs
Distance covered since Leaving
Walvis Bay 125 miles.
Winds picked up during the
afternoon to 35 Kts southerly.
Sailing with two reefs in
the main only. Pretty rough! The skippers sea legs appear to absconded again. No
blog update due to the risk of having to
fish pervading carrot bits out of the keyboard.
Beer o clock was skipped.
2010 The AIS alarm sounded,
I recognised James on "Rhapsody" registered in Texas on a converging
course. I contacted them on VHF. James asked if my GPS was still faulting and
resetting. I said yes but only during the cold nights. He was having the same
problem with his electronics.
30-03-13 – Saturday
Woke in the morning to grey
skies and lumpy seas.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC+1.0
Lat: 21 05.78 S, Lon: 010
13.70 E
COG: 300 Deg M, SOG 5.5
knots
Winds: 20 to 30 Kts SE. Swell to 4 to 5 meters.
Engine: 1215.8 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 136 miles.
Water temperature 21 degrees
C. Warming up - thankfully.
Beer o clock was skipped
again.
 |
| Atlantic Sunset |
31-03-13 – Sunday
Woke in the morning to sunny,
warm skies
Winds 15 Kts SSE.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC+1.0
Lat: 20 17.85 S, Lon: 008 14.39
E
COG: 305 Deg M, SOG 5 knots
Winds: 18 to 20 Kts SE. Swell to 4 to 5 meters.
Engine: 1216.0 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 121 miles.
Changed Time zone to UTC
(Lon 007 30.00 E)
Dinner was steak, mash
potatoes and vegetables. First good meal since leaving Walvis Bay. Beer o clock
was enjoyed.
Winds were 10 to 12 knots during
the night.
01-04-13 – Monday
Woke in the morning to
sunny, warm skies
Winds 15 Kts SSE.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC (Zulu)
Lat: 20 09.23 S, Lon: 006 04.81
E
COG: 290 Deg M, SOG 5.5
knots
Winds: 12 to 16 Kts SSE. Swell to 3 meters.
Engine: 1217.1 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 121 miles.
Wind increased toward
evening, as it usually did from the south, 15 to 20 kts SSE.
Beer o clock was observed
and enjoyed.
Dinner - Thai green beef
curry and rice.
02-04-13 – Tuesday
Woke in the morning to grey
skies - 7/8th stratus cloud cover.
Winds 12 to 18 Kts ESE.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 19 39.71 S, Lon: 003
50.10 E
COG: 290 Deg M, SOG 5.0
knots
Winds: 15 to 18 Kts SE. Swell to 3 meters.
Engine: 1218.2 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 130 miles.
2000 Winds 20 to 25 kts SE.
Reefed mainsail only - SOG 6
Kts.
03-04-13 – Wednesday
0030 Jybed to avoid a ship
and make more northing.
Wind 18 - 20 Kts ESE.
Woke in the morning to grey
skies.
Big swell and lumpy seas
Water depth 5 kilometres.
Winds 12 to 18 Kts ESE.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 18 39.60 S, Lon: 001 53.40
E
COG: 320 Deg M, SOG 4.5
knots
Winds: 15 to 20 Kts ESE. Swell to 4 meters.
Engine: 1218.2 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 125.5 miles.
04-04-13 – Thursday
Woke in the morning to grey
skies.
Winds 12 to 18 Kts ESE.
Big swell and lumpy seas -
again. The swell and wind waves come from different directions - SW and SE respectively.
Every now and again these waves combine to form several monster waves which
slap Sadiqi around like a cat playing with a toy. Most uncomfortable! Still,
I'd rather be out here than sitting in rush hour traffic somewhere.
The sounds of the boat
burbling or rushing through the water, the wind moaning through the rigging and
Smithy (Windvane) happily playing pipe tunes is usually very pleasant. When the
boat is being thrown around in the lumpy seas there is sometimes a lot more
noise. For example; bottles and jars clinking together in boxes and shelves, a
loose screwdriver rolling in it's cubby hole, creaking cabinetry etc. Depending
on the conditions the noise combines to sound like a demented symphony. In an
attempt to avoid going anymore insane, if that's possible, the noises must be
hunted down and quietened. Being out here on the ocean one becomes acutely
aware of ones surroundings - sounds, smells and sights - a change in a sound
usually means something. Hence the need to quiet the unnecessary noises or
attempt to.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 17 12.30 S, Lon: 000 36.74
E
COG: 300 Deg M, SOG 4.5
knots
Winds: 15 to 20 Kts ESE. Swell to 4 meters.
Engine: 1218.8 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 114 miles.
1930 Sadiqi crossed the zero
meridian into the Western Hemisphere.
Sea temperature 23 degrees
Celsius.
Winds dropped during the
night 10 to 12 Kts ESE
05-04-13 – Friday
Morning grey skies (seems
perpetual)
Did chores - laundry,
scrubbed cockpit, cleaned dodger windows, cut my hair and ran engine to charge
batteries etc.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 16 34.14 S, Lon: 001
09.42 W
COG: 330 Deg M, SOG 4.0
knots
Winds: 10 to 15 Kts ESE.
Swell to 1 meter.
Engine: 1222.1 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 108 miles.
Good sailing during the
night. Full mainsail and jib.
Winds 10 to 15 SE
06-04-13 – Saturday
Woke to grey skies again.
1030 Winds 8 to 12 Kts ESE.
Raised Big Bertha the
asymmetrical.
SOG back up to 6 Kts.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 16 08.54 S, Lon: 003
03.17 W
COG: 295 Deg M, SOG 5 knots
Winds: 10 to 12 Kts ESE. Swell 2 to 3 meters.
Engine: 1222.9 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 112 miles.
1515 listened for Peri Peri
Radio net. I heard the yacht "Kiwi Rowa" sailing to Cape Town from
The Falklands mentioning that they had problems connecting to sailmail Maputo .
I had had problems connecting over the past few days. Paul from Peri Peri
contacted Maputo and the connection problem was resolved.
2000 Winds 10 to 12 Kts SE
Big Bertha still flying -
SOG 6 Kts
2100 Winds increased to 16
Kts SE - Dropped Big Bertha.
07-04-13 – Sunday
0100 Winds 8 to 12 Kts SE
(downwind)
Nasty sloppy seas - SOG 3
Kts.
Put on safety harness and
Raised Big Bertha again - SOG 5 Kts.
This was an attempt to make
land fall 85 miles (St Helena) in day light.
0430 Winds 5 to 6 Kts E!
Nasty sloppy seas - SOG 2
Kts.
Mainsail slatting and
banging!
Its not all plain sailing in
the trades.
0630 Winds 5 to 6 Kts WSW
Mainsail still slatting and
banging in the slop!
Big Bertha barely flying.
Skipper grumpy - 59 miles to
St Helena.
Dropped Big Bertha and
started the engine.
0915 Winds 8 to 10 kts SSW
Sailing with just mainsail
and jib.
Land ho - spotted St Helena
50 miles out.
The forecast Through Andrew on
Peri Peri Radio Net was for light winds.
The skipper decided to
standoff and arrive at the anchorage on Monday morning. There was no point in
rushing, the island wasn't going anywhere.
1115 Winds less than 5 Kts
from somewhere.
Hauled down all sails - the silence
was bliss.
Water Temperature 24.5
Degrees Celsius.
Did chores, went for a swim
and wash, read Nelson DeMille's "Plum Island" for some ironic humour
and slept.
Noon
Time: 12.00L UTC
Lat: 15 51.87 S, Lon: 004
55.24 W
COG: 0 Deg M, SOG 1 knot
Winds: not much. Swell almost.
Engine: 1224.2 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 109 Miles.
In the afternoon I did what
big ships appear to be able to do and drifted under the auspice of "not
under command". Sadiqi was very slowly drifting toward Saint Helena at
about half a knot.
1700 - 42 miles out -
contacted St Helena radio to advise Sadiqi would be arriving at James Bay in
the morning.
 |
| St Helena |
08-04-13 – Monday
It was a slow drift/sail to Jamestown,
St Helena with a partial jib only - SOG of between 2 to 3 knots.
0845 contacted Port Control
on CH16 and was advised to pick up a mooring.
0915 Arrived James Bay, St
Helena.
Engine 1226.1 Hours
Log 9530.8 Nm
Diesel used 11 Litres
Trip distance 1,200 miles in
11 days.
