Topic: Navigation

1-5. Mid Pacific to Heading South

Feb 19, 2005 - 2215hrs UTC

What a dreadful night, punctuated by a series of little tragedies all related to the loss of precious liquids. The front duly arrived, as usual at dinner time and, again as usual, the grib had the wind direction pretty much spot on but once again as usual, underestimated the strength by 100% so instead of 20 gusting 25, we get 40 going on 50. Two sail changes during the night as it increased, each requiring one of us to surface from warm bunk and dreams of Ingrid (was that her name, Kees?) and go through the Mr Bean routine and get wet and cold as well. … Continue reading

1-7. Near the Horn

Mar 07, 2005 - 2135hrs UTC

Sitrep: 2135hrs 07 Mar 2005 UTC 54’21”S 080’59”W Map Ref 105

Less than 500 to go. About 37.5 k for the runners. Brain closing down, pain out to the ends of every eyelash, anticipation and still the fear that something will fail, anything that breaks the rhythm potentially devastating – … Continue reading

1-11. South Atlantic-26°S

Apr 04, 2005 – 2300hrs UTC

More idle nonsense. How many of you set off on a journey to somewhere new knowing exactly how to get there? Say from Randwick to Liverpool (in Sydney, for our foreign guest…) or from Chatswood to Burrumbuttock? (Look it up…) I was thinking about mud maps – mental plots – when I was describing our track for NASA to pass on to Leroy. He’s an astronaut and a pilot and it’s really very easy to do – we’re tracking parallel to the South American coast about five hundred miles out at about 5 knots, starting from Stanley on Saturday at noon. … Continue reading

1-19. Senegal and Pete's Birthday

Aug 31, 2005 – 0845hrs UTC │Alcohol List, Journey Home

0845hrs 31 Aug 2005 UTC 31’59”N 018’22”W Ref 323

DB: 24hr:127, total 1290/1320 sched = -30 so we’re getting back into it. In deep mourning for friendly little phone and the big chunk of my life’s database that went with it. Bereft, I am. And stupid. It will be sitting … Continue reading

1-21. Equator to Left Turn

Sep 21, 2005 - 1015hrs UTC │RORC Award

DB 125, 9,907 (GPS 135). Truckin’ along reasonably well, touch wood, hold me breff till me eyes pop and waltzing matilda. I think we have hooked into the Brazil current too, which is nice. A bit short of sailmail connection time because of all the Belmore South answers, so this will be short. … Continue reading

1-30. To abeam Cape Leeuwin

Nov 26, 2005 – 0315hrs UTC

0315hrs 26 Nov 2005 UTC 46’17”S 097’28”E Ref 587

just to give you the feel of things, i’ve just received this from weather perth via satcom egc:

gale warning for the western area

please be aware, wind gustsShort increases in wind speed – or people who signed the Gust Book. … Continue reading

2-2. Equator-Dutch Harbor

1300 position 3409.14 16956.40 Wed 21/05/2008 04:18

dtdDistance to Dutch (Harbour) 1568 so dmgDistance Made Good; More here -1 No comment!

In the black glooms last night, thinking that pearshapedness threatened and plug pulling was on the cards, I thought about CookBritish explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy. He made 3 voyages to the … Continue reading