Captain's Log

September 22, 2002

Hello All,
 
Wow this is tough and slow and frustrating. 2nd high pressure in the last three days. Light air and headwinds, cool and cloudy. Although I am pleased to see a boat speed of 5.6 kts in 5.6 kts of true wind, pretty good for a 40 footer, I am still going slowly and at this point due North. Heading to Torbay is 55 degrees. After yesterdays 30 kts plus, this is a little relaxing physically, but tougher mentally, realizing that basically I will have 2 slow days in my first 8 ( by noon tomorrow ) Torbay seems a long way away. Think wind for me please.............
 
Had an interesting experience this morning with a freighter that as usual would not reply on channel 16 when hailed and we were very close when he came just behind me. Approximately 400 yards. With only 5 kts of boat speed this does not offer many options if the freighter had gotten any closer. Interesting part was that when he passed my Gyro compass went wild. ( A Gyro compass is a fully gimbaled compass that reacts to the slightest movements of a boats direction and is meant to compensate for irregular magnetic variations, particularly in the Southern Oceans )  It read 40 degrees off the regular compass direction and its some of its other indicators read that I was at 90 degrees of heel, ( that would be flat on my side ) and at 24 degrees of bow up ( that would look a little weird ) After the ship passed by I shut down the instrument and then restarted. All back to normal ??? The Bermuda Triangle comes this far north !!!
 
regards,
 
Alan
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